Active COVID-19 cases in Gig Harbor pass 500 mark as ‘Third Wave’ surge continues.

Updated Wednesday, Nov. 25

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Gig Harbor area surged past 500 in midweek, with 525 active cases reported and 123 more on the Key Peninsula.

Countywide, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported 284 new cases and three new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the Pierce County total to 15,372 cases and 228 deaths. The daily number is lagging by two or three days, the health department said, because more people are seeking testing at mobile sites.

A Gig Harbor area man in his 80s was among three deaths reported Nov. 18. He was not further identified. The three deaths reported Wednesday included a man in his 80s from Spanaway with underlying health conditions, a man in his 60s from Tacoma and a man in his 70s from Puyallup.

Since the pandemic began in March, the Gig Harbor area has had 6 deaths and the Key Peninsula two.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has reported 3,460 cases in the last 14 days, for an average of 247 a day. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 309. The goal is fewer than 25.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 25, there were 106 active cases in the North Gig Harbor/Canterwood area (census tract 072505), 86 cases in the Wollochet area (census tract 072408), 63 cases in the Artondale area (census tract 072406), 39 cases in the Forest Beach-Kopachuck area (Census Tract 072405), 34 cases in the Sunrise Beach/Maplewood area (Census Tract 072506), 23 cases in the downtown area (Census Tract 072507) and 38 cases on Fox Island.

On the Key Peninsula, there were 48 active cases in the Wauna/Purdy area (census tract 072503), 34 in the Vaughn area, (Census Tract 072601), 23 in the mid-Peninsula (Census Tract 072602) and 24 in the Lakebay area (Census Tract 072603), which includes McNeil and Anderson islands.

(Census tract numbers do not add up to the area total because some patients are presumed recovered.)

The Peninsula School District reported on Sunday, Nov. 22, that there had been one confirmed case at Harbor Heights Elementary School, bringing the total known cases in the schools to nine. The district said there were no cases among the Kindergarten and first-graders who have returned to in-person learning. Officials were unable to give further details because of privacy issues.

The district’s “COVID-19 Dashboard” listed five cases at Peninsula High School and one each at Gig Harbor High School, Kopachuck Middle School, Goodman Middle School, Harbor Heights Elementary and Purdy Elementary. Of the total number of cases, only three — all of them at PHS — originated on campus.

Freddy’s offers rapid tests

Fred Meyer is offering rapid antibody testing at its pharmacies throughout the Northwest, expanding the company’s existing portfolio of at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests, to help inform patients if they have previously been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

The antibody tests—conducted using a finger-prick blood sample—are now available at Fred Meyer and QFC pharmacies. The tests, which are supplied by Whitmire Medical, are available to Fred Meyer and QFC customers for $25 and typically provide results within 15 minutes.

Individuals who believe they may have previously been infected with COVID-19 and are not currently experiencing symptoms are eligible for the test. This is not a test for new infections.

The Gig Harbor Fred Meyer grocery and pharmacy is at 5502 Point Fosdick in the Olympic Towne Center.

This story was originally published November 22, 2020 at 2:14 PM.