By Ken Stern 

County COVID-19 case drop drastic

 

COVD-19 Cases by month since January 1, 2021

Skagit County recorded 32 new COVID-19 cases the last two weeks of June. These are the lowest weekly totals since Sept. 2020. The state Department of Health reports 48.3 cases per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks, through July 1.

There has been a steady decline in new cases since May 1, the result of county residents getting vaccinated at an increasing rate. Through June 30, 149,680 total doses have been given to Skagit County residents, DOH reports, while 62.7% of all Skagitonians 12 years and older are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, Skagit Public Health reports.

The graph of new COVID-19 cases in Skagit County in 2021 shows that cases spiked post-Christmas holidays in mid-January and then declined generally through March. Gov. Jay Inslee’s March decision to move the entire state into Phase 3 of his Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan led to sharp increases in new cases across the state in April. In Skagit County, cases doubled more than doubled, to 494, from 215 in March.


Individuals’ social behaviors probably changed little in May with regard to mask wearing and safe social distancing, but spring weather and residents seeking vaccinations reduced May’s total new COVID-19 cases 30%, with total cases dropping to 61 the last week of the month. New case counts continued to drop in June. The 107 total cases are 31% of May’s new cases.

Washington fully reopened to social and economic activity June 30 with limited exceptions for healthcare facilities, schools and childcare centers and indoor events of over 10,000 people.


In a June 29 news release, Inslee said, “Because folks listened to science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore masks and got vaccinated, we can now safely fully re-open our state’s economy and cultural centers after 15 long months. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of how Washingtonians came together, persevered and sacrificed to fight this virus, and now we’re finally in a place that is safe enough to end this chapter.

“We still have work to do. Continued success depends on everyone getting vaccinated and encouraging any loved one who has not yet received this lifesaving vaccine to do so, and quickly.”

The DOH defines the Delta variant of the virus as a “variant of concern,” stating it “is more transmissible compared with other variants” on a June 22 website posting.


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Personal and social public behaviors, as the graph shows for new Skagit County cases in 2021, resulted in increased COVID-19 cases.

Evidence shows that when people who are eligible to get vaccinated, and are able to, get vaccinated, the number of new COVID-19 cases declines drastically. With the vastly increased social contact the full reopening of Washington brings, this indicates that the health of the population depends on those who are not vaccinated to wear masks, social distance and get vaccinated if they are safely able to.

Skagit Public Health has vaccine clinics scheduled for:

July 7 and 14 at Skagit Transit Station, downtown Mount Vernon, 5-9 p.m.

July 13, Skagit Valley Family YMCA, 4:30-7:30 p.m.

 

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