Thurston County reports five new COVID-19 cases, brings week total to 19

Five new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Thurston County on Wednesday, bringing the mid-week case total to 19.

The new cases reported by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services are in: a woman in her 20s, a man in his 30s, a woman in her 40s and two men in their 60s. A total of 317 cases have been discovered in Thurston County since the first case was discovered on March 11.

Thurston County’s new Health Officer, Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek, released her first letter to the community on Wednesday. In the letter she says of the last weeks rise in cases, “traveling and private gatherings with family and friends are common ways people are contracting COVID-19,” and that if people must gather, they should do so outdoors.

Dr. Abdelmalek also urges people to share information with contract tracers. “It is really important to share the names of people with whom you have had close contact, meaning you have been closer than six feet for fifteen minutes or longer. This information is completely confidential.”

Cases in Thurston County that are considered “recovered” or “recovering,” meaning they are no longer self-isolating, is at 231, while the amount of patients who have been hospitalized is at 37. Five county residents have died due to complications relating to COVID-19, so far.

A CLOSER LOOK

Data collected by Thurston County and compiled into a weekly report reveals where the disease is spreading and who it is infecting.

Four ZIP codes in Thurston County now have over 40 cases of COVID-19, those ZIP codes are: 98501, 98512, 98503 and 98513. These areas have been and continue to be where the bulk of cases are. Nine of the 12 ZIP codes in the county also saw a rise in cases last week, they are: 98501, 98502, 98503, 98506, 98512, 98513, 98516, 98579 and 98597.

The disease continues to disproportionately infect Black and Hispanic people in the county. Last week, Black people represented 3 percent of the county, but 9 percent of cases. Hispanic people have been hit the hardest, making up 9 percent of the county’s total population but 29 percent of the cases. Meanwhile, white residents make up 82 percent of the counties total population and 80 percent of cases. It is important to note that Thurston County records Black and white in the report’s “Race” category, while it records Hispanic in the report’s “Ethnicity” category.

IN THE REGION

• Pierce County announced 48 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and one new death. A total of 2,940 people have been diagnosed and 92 have died in the county since their first case was discovered.
• Lewis County reported five new cases, a person under the age of 20, a person in their 20s, two people in their 30s and a person in their 90s, on Wednesday. So far, 88 people have tested positive in the county and three people have died.
• Mason County has had a total of 56 cases and one death, according to a July 6 news release.
• Grays Harbor County announced 7 new cases on July 6, five of those cases were discovered on July 5 and another on July 6. A total of 34 people in the county have been diagnosed with the disease.

AROUND THE STATE, NATION AND WORLD

• Washington State’s Department of Health is reporting a total of 37,941 COVID-19 cases have been discovered and 1,394 people have died from the disease.
• The U.S. now has over 3 million cases and 132,095 deaths related to COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
• Globally, nearly 12 million people have tested positive for the disease and 547,772 people have died as a result of it.