Skagit County near 3,000 COVID-19 cases

Skagit County will likely record more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections in December, by far the highest one month total this year. Through Dec. 28, 957 positive tests have been reported, with 35 new cases the month’s daily average. Trends are for 3,000 COVID-19 cases since March. One-third will be this month.

While daily new case counts have ranged between three and 109, a rolling weekly average is between 24 and 42 cases per day. Another 48 people were hospitalized in December, one-fourth the number of hospital stays since March. Four deaths were listed Dec. 28. Ten people have died in December, 27% of the 37 deaths since March,

Per 100,000 Skagitonians, the state Department of Health calculates a rate of 394.7 cases per two weeks, well below the state average of 454.6 per 100,000 people. About 322 people are testing weekly of which 7% tested positive the past week.

In the 98257 La Conner zip code, 57 cases are known, the newest reported Dec. 21.