Clark County’s recent COVID-19 infection rate dropped for the first time since mid-July in the latest Clark County Public Health data, though the health department also reported 24 more deaths, the second-most reported in a single week since the pandemic began.
In its weekly COVID-19 update on Sept. 16, Clark County Public Health reported a recent case rate of 506.1 cases per 100,000 population in the past 14 days, down from the all-time high of 549.3 cases per 100,000 reported the week prior. The decrease marks the first drop in the rate since July 22 when the county had a record-low rate of about 50 cases per 100,000.
Clark County Public Health reported 1,218 more COVID-19 cases between Sept. 9 and Sept. 16, including 1,022 confirmed cases and 196 probable ones, based on antigen testing. The cases put the county’s total at 31,999 confirmed cases and 3,030 probable cases since the outbreak began. As of Sept. 16, there were 1,383 active cases reported, which are ones still in the isolation period.
Clark County Public Health also reported 24 more confirmed COVID-19 deaths in its Sept. 16 update, which were not a part of a backlog due to the case surge associated with the delta variant, the health department stated. The deaths include the first reported in the county of an individual younger than 30, with one reported in the 20 to 29 age group, and put the county’s total at 373, including 337 confirmed and 36 suspected.
There were 142 COVID-19 patients and two awaiting test results hospitalized in Clark County as of the health department’s Sept. 16 report, taking up 27.7 percent of hospital beds and 60.3 of intensive care unit beds in the county. Ninety-nine percent of hospital beds and 98.4 percent of ICU beds were occupied in the county.
The county’s recent hospital admission rate for COVID-19 patients continued to increase, as Clark County Public Health reported 20.2 patients per 100,000 people admitted over 7 days, up from 15.4 per 100,000 last week.
Though Clark County’s share of confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide saw a slight decrease, its share of deaths showed a greater increase. Washington State Department of Health data on Sept. 16 showed the county had roughly 5.8 percent of confirmed cases and about 5.4 percent of deaths across the state, compared to about 5.9 percent and roughly 5.2 percent last week, respectively.
