Several weeks of gradual increases in COVID-19 activity were punctuated by a sudden increase in cases and a warning from the Clark County Department of Public Health to be careful during Easter weekend and the upcoming spring school holidays .
“As we approach the Easter holiday and spring break, please take precautions to keep you, your loved ones and our community healthy,” said Public Health in a statement on social media. “Now is not the time to relax preventive measures.
The warning came when Clark County reported 74 new cases on Friday, more than double the number of cases during most of this week and the highest single-day total since January 29, according to data from Public health. The new cases bring the total so far to 19,521 and the weekly total to 317 cases, an average of about 45 cases per day.
The weekly average was the highest since the week ended on February 12, as cases were declining from a peak in early January of about 180 cases per day. Cases dropped to about 29 cases a day in early March, before rising to about 34 cases a day for two weeks and about 37 cases a day last week.
“Increased virus activity should be a reminder to all of us that the pandemic is not over,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, health officer for Clark and Cowlitz counties, in a press release on Friday. “It was a long year and we all experienced the fatigue of the pandemic, but we need to have a little more patience.”
Several weeks of gradual increases in COVID-19 activity were punctuated by a sudden increase in cases and a warning from the Clark County Department of Public Health to be careful during the upcoming spring break.
“As we approach the Easter holiday and spring break, please take precautions to keep you, your loved ones and our community healthy,” said Public Health in a statement on social media. “Now is not the time to relax preventive measures.
No new deaths were reported on Friday, leaving 242 deaths from COVID-19 in Clark County. Only one death has been reported since March 26.
There were 288 active cases still in isolation until Friday, compared to 269 on Thursday, according to Public Health data.
Hospitalizations increased slightly, with 20 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, up from 17 on Thursday, and five people hospitalized awaiting test results, up from four on Thursday, according to Public Health data.
Public Health specifically urged people to stay close to home on spring break and to take the following measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Avoid large meetings.
- Meet outdoors, if possible, and stay at least 2 meters from people you don’t live with.
- If you are meeting indoors, keep the group small (no more than 10 people you don’t live with), use face covers and open doors and windows to increase airflow.
Public Health said that people vaccinated against COVID-19 should continue to take precautions, such as wearing face shields and maintaining physical distance, when in public and meeting with others.