Thurston adds 20 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, vaccine clinics for seniors in the works
Thurston County confirmed 20 more COVID-19 cases Tuesday as it works to open more vaccine clinics for seniors.
The new cases bring the county’s total to 6,486 cases since the first case was confirmed in March, according to data from Thurston County Public Health and Social Services. The county also reported that 333 people have been hospitalized at some point in their illness and 5,018 cases are considered recovered or recovering.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the total number at 63.
The county also reported that 6.8% of COVID-19 tests have returned positive results over the past week, down significantly from nearly 10 percent a few weeks ago.
The county is actively investigating and responding to 6 ongoing-outbreaks in congregate care settings, including one at the Thurston County jail. The county has had 45 such outbreaks to date.
Vaccine availability
The county health department is planning to offer vaccines by appointment at the Olympia and Lacey senior centers later this week, director Schelli Slaughter told the board of county commissioners Tuesday.
Senior Services for South Sound is partnering with the department to host the vaccine clinics at their senior centers. Executive director Brian Windrope previously told The Olympian that his non-profit is waiting on the county to determine when they can open the clinics.
“One of our key partners is Senior Services of South Sound who is coordinating with us to hold vaccine clinics specifically for eligible older adults in our community,” wrote county spokesperson Magen Johnson. “These clinics will be starting this week and are dependent on the vaccine supply allocated to our county.”
The health department expects to receive about 1,500 vaccine doses this week, Slaughter said. However, the department is allocating about 1,000 of those doses to Providence so it can continue administering vaccines this week.
The remaining 500 doses will be divided among the Olympia and Lacey Senior Centers, mobile clinics for homeless populations and healthcare workers who have yet to be vaccinated, Slaughter said.
In the last week, the health department has vaccinated over 700 eligible seniors who were unable to get appointments or needed special assistance, according to Johnson.
The department also is working with the state Department of Health to reach senior living communities and adult family homes that have missed out on vaccine opportunities so far, according to the department.
The county’s biggest hurdle is inadequate vaccine supply, officials say.
Healthcare providers authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines in Thurston County have collectively received 26,225 first and second doses as of Feb. 1, Johnson said. However, the county has over 70,000 residents eligible for the vaccine in the current phase of the statewide vaccine plan.
“Due to the limited supply of the vaccine, not everyone will be able to access the vaccine right away, which is causing a lot of frustration,” Johnson wrote. “However, we are hopeful that as supply increases, we will be able to both have more clinics and work with local partners to provide everyone in Phase 1B tier 1 who would like to be vaccinated with the opportunity for vaccine as quickly as possible.”
What to do while you wait
The county health department is advising seniors to take some steps to prepare for when vaccine appointments are available. For future clinics that require online registration, each eligible person needs to have a unique email address they can use to schedule appointments, a department statement read.
“We are finding many senior couples who have email accounts share one email address,” Johnson wrote. “This will be an obstacle for them when they try to register for a vaccine appointment online for both people.”
Those who do not have email or internet can call the state Department of Health (DOH) vaccine hotline at 888-856-5816 for help securing appointments as they become available, according to the statement. People also can call Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (TCPHSS) at 360-867-2610.
“Due to the high call volume DOH and TCPHSS are experiencing, please be patient if you are unable to receive immediate assistance,” Johnson wrote. “If you do have access to email, internet, or cell phone service, please use those methods in scheduling appointments before calling DOH or TCPHSS.”
The department also recommends seniors connect with their healthcare providers to let them know they are still waiting for a vaccine as many providers are working to reach out to eligible patients. They do not advise seniors drive to other areas in the state for a vaccine.
“We also know that traveling can be difficult for seniors,” Johnson wrote. “We will have enough vaccine for everyone in Thurston County to receive vaccines eventually and reaching those at highest risk, especially our seniors, is our top priority at PHSS.”
People interested in volunteering to help seniors can sign up online for the Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps which includes medical and non-medical professionals. Additionally, people can volunteer with Senior Services for South Sound by calling 360-586-6181 extension 120.
“Thurston County Public Health and Social Services has deployed the Medical Reserve Corps to many of our vaccination clinics and events,” Johnson wrote. “It is going to take lots of volunteers and helping hands for everyone to get vaccinated in Thurston County. We welcome volunteers to come join our team.”
The county health department is also developing a partnership with the United Way of Thurston County to allow community members to volunteer at upcoming mass vaccination sites and events. More information on this volunteer opportunity and local mass vaccination sites will be released at a later time.
COVID-19 in the region
▪ Pierce County on Tuesday confirmed 128 new COVID-19 cases and four new deaths. The county now has reported a total of 33,240 cases and 404 deaths.
▪ Lewis County Public Health & Social Services announced nine additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 2,954. No additional deaths were reported, so the death total remains at 37.
▪ Grays Harbor County has reported 3,011 confirmed and probable cases as of Monday with 32 deaths.
▪ Mason County reported five new cases but no new deaths on Tuesday for a total of 1,600 cases with 20 deaths.
▪ Pacific County reported one new case for a total of 665 confirmed and probable cases with eight deaths as of Monday.
Around the state, nation and world
The state Department of Health had reported 314,692 confirmed and probable cases and 4,316 deaths as of Tuesday.
In the U.S., 26.5 million cases had been reported as of Wednesday with more than 449,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Globally, 104.2 million cases had been reported and more than 2.26 million people had died as of Wednesday, the data show.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 5:55 PM.
