COVID-19 cases plummet in Pierce County; deaths remain in double-digits in week’s tally
Pierce County reported 395 new COVID-19 cases for Feb. 27-March 5 and 26 deaths.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported this week that falling case and hospitalization rates moved the county into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s medium-risk category, though CDC as of Tuesday afternoon had not updated its site to reflect that and showed the county at high risk.
High risk calls for continued wearing of masks indoors, according to the CDC’s ranking, whereas medium risk advises people to “talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.”
TPCHD said, “The Washington State Department of Health is working with CDC to ensure its data is up to date.”
The state is ending its statewide indoor mask mandate March 12. Masks still will be required at places such as hospitals, dental offices, long-term care facilities and correctional facilities in the state.
The latest deaths reported Tuesday:
▪ A woman in her 50s from Parkland.
▪ A man in his 50s from Lake Tapps/Sumner Area.
▪ A man in his 70s from Graham.
▪ A woman in her 90s from Lake Tapps/Sumner Area.
▪ A woman in her 70s from Tacoma.
▪ A woman in her 40s from South Pierce County.
▪ A man in his 50s from Bonney Lake.
▪ A woman in her 60s from Spanaway.
▪ A man in his 50s from Key Peninsula.
▪ A man in his 60s from Graham.
▪ A man in his 60s from Tacoma.
▪ A man in his 70s from South Hill.
▪ A woman in her 60s from Tacoma.
▪ A man in his 70s from Southwest Pierce County.
▪ A woman in her 70s from East Pierce County.
▪ A man in his 30s from Spanaway.
▪ A man in his 90s from Tacoma.
▪ A woman in her 70s from Graham.
▪ A man in his 90s from Lakewood.
▪ A woman in her 70s from Tacoma.
▪ A woman in her 70s from Tacoma.
▪ A woman in her 80s from Tacoma.
▪ A man in his 80s from Lakewood.
▪ A woman in her 80s from Tacoma.
▪ A man in his 80s from South Hill.
▪ A woman in her 90s from Gig Harbor area.
As of March 8, 68.3 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 182,835 cases and 1,282 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 223.6 for Feb. 13-26, 59.8 percent lower than the previous 2-week period.
The 7-day rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 was at 6.7 for Feb. 20-26, 38 percent lower than the previously reported 7-day period.
From February 2021 to January 2022, 75,969 of Pierce County’s cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the state Department of Health in its vaccine data report issued March 2. That compares with 42,862 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 March 1 totals in parentheses (totals now include both positive antigen and positive PCR tests):
▪ Bonney Lake: 6,537 (6,511)
▪ Central Pierce County: 8,540 (8,482)
▪ East Pierce County: 11,058 (11,018)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 7,293 (7,248)
▪ Frederickson: 7,616 (7,555)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 7,215 (7,179)
▪ Graham: 7,411 (7,363)
▪ Key Peninsula: 2,410 (2,394)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 7,550 (7,520)
▪ Lakewood: 13,463 (13,342)
▪ Parkland: 7,816 (7,770)
▪ Puyallup: 10,520 (10,451)
▪ South Hill: 11,501 (11,419)
▪ South Pierce County: 7,966 (7,911)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 3,026 (3,005)
▪ Spanaway: 8,729 (8,676)
▪ Tacoma: 45,820 (45,574)
▪ University Place: 5,762 (5,725)
▪ Unknown: 2,602 (2,642)
VACCINES
Pierce County’s vaccination rate is 63.1 percent fully vaccinated for those 5 and older, according to the state DOH.
Among Pierce County’s total population, the county is 58.9 percent fully vaccinated, compared with the state rate of 67 percent.
Percentage of those in each age range who have received at least one dose of vaccine in Pierce County as posted March 3:
▪ 5-11: 27.5 percent
▪ 12-17: 60.2 percent
▪ 18-19: 76.8 percent
▪ 20-34: 72.1 percent
▪ 35-49: 78.3 percent
▪ 50-64: 79.5 percent
▪ 65-79: 84.5 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.
