Lewis County reports second death from COVID-19, 2 new cases in Thurston
A second Lewis County resident has died from complications related to COVID-19, Lewis County Public Health & Social Services announced Wednesday.
Thurston County reported two new confirmed positive cases and no new deaths.
The Lewis County patient who died was in their 90s, was hospitalized outside the county more than a week ago, and had other underlying health conditions, according to the county’s announcement. Local public health officials believe the patient acquired the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 while in Lewis County.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 17 Lewis County residents had tested positive for COVID-19. The residents live all over the county, according to county Public Health, including the Centralia and Chehalis and towns in the east, west, and south, as well as rural areas.
The people who have tested positive range in age from their 20s to their 90s. Residents older than 60 account for over half of cases, Lewis Public Health reports, and 35% have been ill enough to require hospitalization.
“The disease is circulating. It’s not tied to any one geographic point or any one person. It’s being passed around throughout the county. That is why the recommended hygiene and social distancing measures remain critical to stopping the disease,” Lewis Deputy Director and Epidemiologist John Abplanalp said in a prepared statement.
The two new confirmed positive cases in Thurston County are a woman in her 60s and one in her 70s. That brings the county’s total number of cases to 76, with one death.
Thurston County Public Health & Social Services on Wednesday started breaking its coronavirus-related information into two web pages, with one now dedicated to COVID-19 data. Previously, the bulk of data was presented alongside information such as tips to prevent the virus’s spread. The county’s goal is for the data to be easier to use and view, a spokesperson told The Olympian.
Of the first 72 reported cases, 45 have recovered and have been released from isolation, Interim Health Officer Diana Yu wrote in a letter to the community Tuesday. Twelve have been hospitalized, with some outside the county, and many of them have recovered and been discharged, Yu wrote.
Local Public Health officials say cases have been identified in all areas of the county.
ACROSS THE STATE, NATION & WORLD
Mason County Public Health’s total remained at 17 as of Wednesday afternoon. None of the patients are hospitalized in Mason County, but one is hospitalized outside Mason County, according to the department.
King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties continue to be the hardest hit in the state, though case counts in counties across the state are rising. King County has recorded 3,668 confirmed cases and 242 deaths.
As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health was reporting more than 9,000 confirmed positive cases statewide with 421 deaths.
The United States leads the world with more than 429,000 confirmed positive cases. More than 23,290 people have recovered nationwide.
There were more than 1.5 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide as of Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University data shows. More than 88,000 people have died.
HOW TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
▪ Stay home.
▪ If you have to go out in the community, keep a distance of 6 feet or more between you and other people.
▪ If you work, work from home if you can.
▪ Avoid contact with people who are sick.
▪ Wash your hands with soap and water, often.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
▪ Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
▪ If you are sick, stay home and avoid close contact with others.
Source: Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.
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