Skagit County’s COVID-19 numbers keep climbing

Ken Stern | Jul 22, 20200

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MORE TESTS ARE BEST – Public health professionals agree that one key tool for beating the coronavirus is extensive testing. The Skagit County public test site at Skagit Valley College is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Up to 2,000 tests are given a week. Monday morning over 80 cars were lined up for check-in registration at 9:30 a.m. Symptoms or questions? Information: 360-416-1500. https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthDiseases/coronavirusdriveup.htm#C - Photo by Ken Stern

None of the COVID-19 numbers Skagit County Public Health is reporting daily are good and neither are the trends.

Skagit County reported 31 cases in the Friday-Monday period, with 21 Monday. Eighty-eight cases were confirmed July 14-20, with 134 cases July 5-19 and 261 cases since June 5, the day the County was approved to advance to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start county by county economic reopening.

Hospitalizations have increased by nine, to 70 since July 12, a 15% rise. Only additional deaths, two, to 17, from 15 on June 18, have not increased dramatically.

July 1 Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said the country is “going in the wrong direction” and nationally 40 states are reporting surging cases.

Here, the Washington State Department of Health’s wrote “COVID-19 is on a path to runaway growth in Washington state” for their news release headline Friday. In the first sentence they reported “the latest statewide situation report ... highlights alarming trends in transmission and hospitalization data.”

Only Yakima County’s data show an “exception” to accelerating growth reports DOH.

Anacortes canceled last weekend’s street closing, planned to bring shoppers and diners onto Commercial Avenue. The Skagit County Public Health Department had advised canceling.

Staff from Anacortes and Gov. Jay Inslee’s office reversed decisions as coronavirus cases climbed in Washington. The governor’s office gave an initial tentative approval after city staff called. After the cancellation decision, Mayor Laurie Gere sent an email writing “the fact is it’s not safe to gather together yet.’

Burlington closed sports fields at several parks July 16, concerned that too many people were too close together.

An August weekends drive-in concert series at the Skagit County Fairground was also canceled, this a result of Inslee declaring a ban on live entertainment statewide last Thursday.

Inslee also warned he could put more restrictions into place if cases continue to grow across the state.

“People should not be surprised if more gets rolled back depending on the course of this pandemic,” Inslee said July 14, “and that’s going to be influenced by how many people wear masks and how many people decide to socially distance.”

The Skagit County Board of Health meets Friday for an update from Health Department staff.