2 new confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Thurston County, bringing total to 157
Thurston County reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the county since the beginning of the pandemic to 157.
The two new cases were both women, one in her 60s and another in her 40s.
Just 20 of the total number of cases are considered active.
The count has inched up in the last few days after a big surge last week. In a letter to the community released Tuesday, Acting Thurston County Health Officer Dr. Diana Yu summed up the recent growth in cases in Thurston County this way:
“We entered Phase 2 on Wednesday, May 27, as we became aware of a potential long-term care outbreak. Since then, we have had 22 new cases reported for Thurston County. ... Of these latest 22 cases, 15 are related to the long-term care outbreak in one facility, two are related to the outbreak in an adult family home, two are household contacts of a previous case, and three are community acquired.”
At a county commission meeting Tuesday morning, Yu provided more information on the COVID-19 outbreaks at the two care facilities.
A total of 19 people have tested positive in an outbreak at an independent living and assisted living facility, Yu said — from previous reporting, that facility is Olympics West Retirement Inn in Tumwater. Eleven cases are in staff members and eight are in residents, she said, and one of the residents is hospitalized.
Not everyone who tested positive showed symptoms, Yu said.
The local health department tested 202 people at that facility over two days, Yu said. All staff that tested positive are isolated at home, she said, and all residents who tested positive are isolated at the facility. The department has done a preliminary investigation, has talked to the facility about infection control, and provided a list of actions to take to keep everyone safe, Yu said.
Re-testing for everyone who tested negative at the facility is scheduled for next Monday, Yu said.
The Department of Social and Health Services is the regulatory agency for long-term care facilities, Yu said, and it, as well as the state Department of Health’s healthcare-associated infections program, are also responding to the outbreak.
The second outbreak is at the four-resident Infinite Care Adult Family Home in Lacey, according to The Olympian’s previous reporting. A staff person who tested positive works at both facilities. One resident and another staff member at the adult family home have since also tested positive, Yu said, for a total of three cases there. The other residents tested negative.
Dr. Yu also provided commissioners with more clarity on a discrepancy in state and local COVID-19 death data. The state Department of Health data shows Thurston County has had two deaths related to COVID-19, while the county has reported one, a man in his 80s who died in early April.
The resident who tested positive at the adult family home was terminally ill, on hospice, and expected to pass away imminently, Yu said. He happened to get COVID-19 before he passed away, Yu said, but a doctor did not believe his death was related to COVID-19.
The way the county enters data, Yu said, includes checking a box that the person with COVID-19 has passed away, and the state automatically uploads that number. The state may change its data, Yu said — as of Tuesday, there was still a discrepancy.
There could soon be more cases discovered in long-term care facilities: Gov. Jay Inslee last week announced a plan to test all nursing home residents who consent as well as staff members.
As of early last week, the state said 3,728 COVID-19 cases, 19% of the total, and 667 deaths, 62% of the total, have been associated with long-term care facilities.
With Thurston County in Phase 2 of the governor’s four-phase plan to re-open the state from COVID-19 shutdown, county public health officials continue to stress the importance of following guidelines including social distancing, wearing face coverings where social distancing isn’t possible, and washing hands frequently.
“We must help each other prevent further exposure to and spread of COVID,” wrote Dr. Yu in her letter. “The virus needs to infect people to keep it alive.
“For those who have been wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing, thank you for your efforts. We want our county opened back up. We want everyone to stay safe from this disease. Let’s work together.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 4:20 PM.