Coronavirus

Pierce County remains in triple digits for previous week’s worth of new COVID cases

Pierce County reported 618 new COVID-19 cases for Feb. 20-26 and 29 deaths.

The latest deaths include:

A man in his 70s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 70s from Tacoma.

A man in his 60s from Edgewood/Fife/Milton.

A man in his 50s from Tacoma.

A man in his 80s from Gig Harbor area.

A woman in her 50s from Graham.

A woman in her 40s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 70s from Central Pierce County.

A woman in her 90s from Gig Harbor area.

A man in his 90s from Parkland.

A woman in her 50s from Lakewood.

A man in his 80s from East Pierce County.

A woman in her 90s from Lakewood.

A man in his 60s from Lakewood.

A man in his 80s from Lake Tapps/Sumner area.

A woman in her 60s from Tacoma.

A man in his 70s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 60s from Lakewood.

A man in his 70s from East Pierce County.

A man in his 70s from Lakewood.

A man in his 80s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 70s from Lakewood.

A woman in her 90s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 80s from Graham.

A woman in her 70s from South Hill.

A man in his 80s from Bonney Lake.

A man in his 90s from Tacoma.

A man in his 80s from Tacoma.

A woman in her 90s from Lakewood.

As of March 1, 68.9 percent of the people who died of COVID in the county had underlying health conditions, according to the health department’s dashboard.

The county’s totals are 181,785 cases and 1,256 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.

Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 551.7 for Feb. 2-15, 42.5 percent lower than the previous 2-week period.

The 7-day rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 was at 10.8 for Feb. 9-15, 27.5 percent lower than the previously reported 7-day period.

From February 2021 to January 2022, 73,519 of Pierce County’s cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the state Department of Health in its vaccine data report issued Feb. 23. That compares with 41,607 cases involving those vaccinated during the same period, according to the state DOH.

More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.

GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS

Tuesday’s cumulative geographic totals, with Feb. 22 totals in parentheses (totals now include both positive antigen and positive PCR tests):

▪ Bonney Lake: 6,511 (6,430)

▪ Central Pierce County: 8,482 (8,124)

▪ East Pierce County: 11,018 (10,832)

▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 7,248 (7,015)

▪ Frederickson: 7,555 (7,261)

▪ Gig Harbor area: 7,179 (7,024)

▪ Graham: 7,363 (7,126)

▪ Key Peninsula: 2,394 (2,346)

▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 7,520 (7,353)

▪ Lakewood: 13,342 (12,761)

▪ Parkland: 7,770 (7,396)

▪ Puyallup: 10,451 (10,072)

▪ South Hill: 11,419 (11,028)

▪ South Pierce County: 7,911 (7,697)

▪ Southwest Pierce County: 3,005 (2,924)

▪ Spanaway: 8,676 (8,282)

▪ Tacoma: 45,574 (44,230)

▪ University Place: 5,725 (5,573)

▪ Unknown: 2,642 (2,540)

VACCINES

Pierce County’s vaccination rate is 62.9 percent fully vaccinated for those 5 and older, according to the state DOH.

Among Pierce County’s total population, the county is 58.7 percent fully vaccinated, compared with the state rate of 66.9 percent.

Percentage of those in each age range who have received at least one dose of vaccine in Pierce County as posted Feb. 24:

5-11: 27.1 percent

12-17: 60 percent

18-19: 76.4 percent

20-34: 71.8 percent

35-49: 78 percent

50-64: 79.3 percent

65-79: 84.4 percent

80 and older: 93.5 percent

You can view vaccine participation by census tract on the local health department’s website.

Go to tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture or the county’s FindYourCovidShot.com website for information on places offering vaccines and for vaccine registration. Walk-up vaccine sites run by the county and most TPCHD events now no longer require an appointment, and all TPCHD events are for first or second doses. Anyone age 5 or older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and anyone 16 or older is eligible for a booster six months after completing a two-dose mRNA vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two months after receiving the single shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Those younger than 18 need parent or guardian approval. Locations of individual vaccine sites also can be found on the state’s vaccine finder: vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.

The health department’s call center to help those seeking vaccines is 253-649-1412.

Debbie Cockrell
The News Tribune
Debbie Cockrell has been with The News Tribune since 2009. She reports on business and development, local and regional issues. 
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