COVID-19 picking up again after a lull

With COVID-19 rates slowing down in recent months, The Star hasn’t published an update on local conditions since April 6, but the disease certainly hasn’t gone away.

In Grant County, the two-week incidence rate was only 26 cases per 100,000 residents on March 31, but on July 8, that number is up to 178, and was 227 on July 7.

Official case rates are widely viewed as undercounted due to home testing kits and an associated lack of reporting.

Four covid deaths occurred since March, bringing the total Covid death count in the county to 261, with three announced in April and one in June, according to the Grant County Health District.

The Grand Coulee/Electric City area of Grant County has seen 343 total covid cases since the pandemic began, 49 more since The Star’s April 6 update.

On July 8, GCHD reported an additional 276 cases in the county for a total of 28,610 since the pandemic began. Four Grant County residents were hospitalized with covid.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Grant and Spokane counties are at high risk for Covid, and people should wear masks indoors. Douglas, Okanogan, Lincoln, and Ferry counties are listed as medium risk, and those at risk for severe illness should talk to their doctors about wearing a mask.

From June 21-27, Coulee Medical Center performed 48 Covid tests with nine being positive, a 19% positivity rate.