PORT ANGELES – Clallam County’s health officer says there’s no need to cancel public events or stop going in public due to the coronavirus locally.
Dr. Allison Berry-Unthank says if you suffer from underlying health problems or are feeling ill, you should stay out of the public.
She says so far, 12 people have been tested for coronavirus in our county. Five of those people tested negative and 7 of those tests are still pending. Unthank suspects there is a low-level of cases here that are yet to be found, but doesn’t believe the virus is widespread.
She added that Clallam County Health and Human Services is not recommending any events be cancelled over coronavirus concerns. On yesterday’s “Todd Ortloff Show” on KONP, she says this weekend’s Home and Lifestyle Show should go on.
“Should that go on? It should go on just fine. There’s really no risk to having a public event right. Now, what we recommend is that, folks who are sick shouldn’t go because we ALWAYS recommend that if you’re sick, you shouldn’t go in a place where you could give it to other people. But, just going to a public event really doesn’t put you at risk. This virus is spread to folks who are in close proximity, so within six feet for a prolonged period of time with someone who is symptomatic. Someone who sneezing and coughing on you”
By “prolonged period of time”, she means an hour or more of close contact.
Unthank added that despite what we see on the news from King County TV stations, the situation here is very different.
“There are responses that make sense in King County because they have a ton of virus flowing around. They have a big problem they need to deal with, we’re not there yet. We’re working hard to make sure we don’t get there. We suspect we have some folks who have the virus that we don’t know about, but we’re talking like a few who have the virus all through our community. And so because of that our responses have to be different and even though the news is showing King County that doesn’t necessarily apply out here.”
Unthank says rumors are also causing unnecessary panic.
She adds there are also still issues with getting testing done more quickly. She says they are only testing those with the severest symptoms and it is taking at least three days for test results to get back for Clallam County. She says those delays will probably continue as more testing is done statewide.