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Leaders of Snohomish County’s response to the COVID-19 crisis raised the alarm Tuesday as a third wave of new cases is fueling concerns that area hospitals may soon become overwhelmed.
The numbers are “grim,” Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District, told a media briefing Tuesday morning.
“We may be facing a hospital surge starting now that could last for weeks,” he said.
The COVID-19 case rate in Snohomish County is now 187.7 per 100,000 people. That’s roughly 7.5 times higher than the target the community needs to hit to move toward reduced restrictions under the state’s Safe Start plan.
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On Friday the county logged a record 250 new cases – the highest single-day total since the pandemic began in January. There were five days last week when case counts were at least 140 each day.
Heading into winter months with record case counts should “send shivers down everybody’s spine,” County Executive Dave Somers told the media briefing. He likened the situation to driving a vehicle with all the warning lights blinking red.
While most people are wearing masks in public settings like grocery stores or while running errands, some aren’t. Data suggest that many of the recent infections have occurred because of mask-less contact in more private settings, such as small, indoor gatherings with extended family and friends or while sharing a ride to work.
As happened in earlier waves of the infection here, hospitalizations are up. The same is true of deaths. Of the county’s 246 confirmed COVID deaths, 35 occurred between Oct. 3 and Oct. 31. Seven of those were people ages 30 to 59.
Personal actions will have the greatest impact on what happens next here, Executive Somers said.
“The least we can do now is take precautions to avoid restrictions” later, he said.
Spitters said it is critical for people to wear masks, to wash their hands, to reduce travel and to limit their social circle to the people they live with and at most a “bubble” of no more than five others.
He delivered a similar message later in the day at a press conference in Seattle that featured public health leaders from the state as well as King and Pierce counties.
Hospitalizations of COVID patients in Snohomish County have risen from 25 to 44 in the past week, and six of those people are on mechanical ventilators. Since hospitalizations generally trail up to three weeks after transmission of COVID, the recent spike in cases suggests the start of a surge, Spitters said.
We must change course immediately, “Not after the holidays. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Now,” he added.
A key takeaway: We must pull together as a community by staying apart.
“Holding gatherings is a threat to all,” Spitters said. “Stop it. Plain and simple, just stop the gatherings.”
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Watch the Snohomish County briefing: https://youtu.be/O0bHHbYHReE
Or read the transcript: https://www.snohd.org/DocumentCenter/View/5712/transcript-of-nov-10-briefing?bidId=
The statewide press conference can be viewed here.
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