SEATTLE – The outlook for COVID-19 in King County seems almost as bright as this weekend’s weather forecast, as the number of hospital cases and admissions continue to decline and more people achieve full immunization status. Jeff Duchin held his weekly briefing on the coronavirus on Thursday, starting with the same old metaphor to summarize the improvement.
“Today’s COVID-19 forecast looks for most of us on the holiday weekend, with plenty of sun, but with a chance of rain consistent with rain in some areas,” he said. With the day, 64% less than our recent peak of 432 instances consistent with the day at the end of April We are now at the COVID-19 transmission point that we were just before the start of the recent fourth wave, and about double what we were in September 2020, before the great fall and winter peak. “
While existing transmission rates remain in the “substantial” category, according to the classification of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strong immunization efforts have helped reduce the number of new infections, despite the spread of several other infectious variants. halved since the last peak, now with an average of 10 consistent with the day in King County.
Duchin said new infections remain the highest among young people, although totals are shrinking across all age groups. Welcome innovations are largely attributed to the expansion of immunization rates among young people and middle-aged people. citizens over the age of 16 were classified as fully vaccinated, up from 57% last week. In the same group, almost 75% have at least one dose.
The weekly expansion shows promising chances that the county will soon succeed in the 70% mark, a threshold that is meant to provide strong coverage in the face of new epidemics and allow the county to cancel its mandate as an indoor mask.
“Thanks to vaccination, we are in a much better position now that summer is coming, as we expected,” Duchin said. “I am sure that the burden of COVID-19 will continue to be minimized in the coming months as more and more people are vaccinated. “
Here’s this week’s vaccination distribution among younger groups:
See vaccination statistics on the county’s new advanced dashboard.
While vaccination rates are the highest in King County, Duchin noted that a giant organization of eligible citizens is not yet vaccinated and that some geographic disparities persist. With more and more infectious strains that fit with higher prevalence, it is much less difficult to contract the virus for those who have not yet been immunized.
“Right now, our epidemic is basically felt through the uns vaccinated,” Duchin said. “About a portion of one million other people over the age of 12 are not yet vaccinated, and 97% of our existing cases are among other un vaccinated people. This means that if you are not vaccinated, your COVID-19 threat is higher right now than the last time on Remembrance Day. “
To help provide more opportunities for those who still want an injection, many cities and counties are shifting their focus, prioritizing cell groups and emerging clinics over static sites, and taking dosages directly to where other people live, paint, and congregate. , the city announced that it would close all of its mass vaccination centers in June as it continued its cell vaccination strategy until the summer. Duchin said at least one massive site would remain open in each and every county domain, adding the Seattle facility and clinics in Kent and Auburn.
As vaccine providers continue to work to succeed in all who need a dose and transmission rates have not yet declined, Duchin encouraged everyone to continue combat a little longer.
“Our COVID-19 epidemic is moving in the right direction, and thanks to everyone who has been vaccinated and made all the hard sacrifices over the next year and a part to get us where we are today,” he said. “Obviously, getting vaccinated is the ultimate and vital way to move towards a healthy life and a healthy economy. Although our disease rates remain the highest and not all other eligible people are vaccinated, we remain heavily dependent on each other for network protection, adding other very vulnerable people who would possibly not respond to the vaccine because they are immunosuppressed as opposed to disease, remedy or medication. “