PORT ANGELES – Clallam County Health Officer Allison Berry Unthank reports that one more county resident has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 5. The latest positive is a man in his 50’s with ties to King County.
Speaking from home, Unthank says the County received 600 more tests from State officials on Wednesday and will begin to administer more tests this week. Unthank lists the priority patients for testing as those hospitalized with COVID-like symptoms, healthcare workers and first responders, symptomatic jail and prison inmates, and those who have died with suspicious symptoms, among others.
We asked Unthank if it was possible to speculate on how long the increase in cases might continue before it begins to drop off. She told us it depends on how well our present policies of isolating ourselves are working and how well our citizens follow the recommended distance practices. She added that it’s thought to be something like 3 months or so before we’ll know how we affected the curve.
Unthank wanted to thank the many volunteers who have stepped up efforts to sew and distribute masks, and she said she just learned that Westport Yachts is donating several pallets of masks to the cause.