Lewis County reached another grim milestone this week, with its COVID-19 death toll surpassing 100.
That comes after 17 residents were reported dead from the virus in county public health officials’ weekly report.
It’s the biggest local surge of deaths since the delta variant began ripping through the region, and it’s paired with the second-highest hospitalization rate — 48.6 per 100,000 — in the state as of Wednesday. Okanogan County sits at 51.0.
The high weekly death toll was preceded by Providence Centralia and St. Peter hospitals reporting their highest-ever combined death toll in a single day. Ten individuals — all unvaccianted — died from the virus, the hospitals announced on Friday. The hospitals care for many of Lewis County’s severely ill COVID-19 patients, although the surge in infections has forced some patients to get care further away.
Meanwhile, Lewis County’s case rate continues to zig-zag at dangerous levels, on Wednesday sitting at 1,062.9 per 100,000. That’s compared to the state’s average of 591.3.
The county reported 338 new positive cases this week, along with 35 more hospitalizations adding on to already-overwhelmed facilities.
On Tuesday, Lewis County Public Health Director JP Anderson cited “incredible demand” for COVID-19 testing, saying the county is working to stand up new testing resources, potentially at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
The hope is to alleviate pressure from providers, “so their waiting rooms and their business offices can be open for folks who are sick and needing to see their provider,” Anderson said.
Demand has been especially heavy, he noted, for pediatric centers.
Public health officials would like to see the county-run testing site up and running by the end of the week.
It will likely administer antigen tests for symptomatic individuals.
