County, region stays in Phase 1 for COVID-19

Skagit County has recorded 498 new cases of the novel coronavirus in January, through the 16th, an average of 35.6 daily cases, based on Skagit Public Health data. Ten to 96 new cases have been reported daily since Jan. 3, for a total of 3,584 cases since last February. The state Department of Health lists another 212 probable cases, where data are uncertain. There will be over 1,000 new infections this month if the trend holds. New cases, and community transmissions from travel around New Year have not yet peaked.

Another six people have died since the first of the year, 13% of the 46 total deaths. Twenty people have been hospitalized to date in 2021, 9.3% of 214 total hospitalizations since counting began.

Skagit County’s placement in the four county North Region of the new Roadmap to Recovery plan aggregates data and flattens the County’s novel coronavirus infections status, but community transmission remains widespread. The 7-day percent positive for COVID-19 tests from Skagit County was an astounding 35.5% -- more than one-in-three – the week ending Jan. 9. The metric for improving is less than 10% positive tests.

For hospital admissions per 100,000 in population, the North Region had a 61% trend. Hospitalizations must decrease by 10% to get to Phase 2.

No region in the state advanced to Phase 2 of Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan this week, the Washington State Department of Health announced in its weekly report last Friday. No region met the four metrics needed to move into Phase 2. These metrics provide an overview of current COVID-19 trends and healthcare system readiness in each region.

DOH reassess the metrics each week and announce regions’ changes to current phase status every Friday.