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Pepper Fisher

PORT ANGELES – Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry Unthank reported a second death due to Covid-19 at her weekly briefing Friday morning.

Unthank said an elderly woman who had been hospitalized with the virus passed away, making two total deaths in our county, with 318 total cases, and our cases per 100,000 population is at 39.

Dr. Unthank described the current Covid situation statewide as growing exponentially in terms of infections and hospitalizations. Here at home, despite a surge in recent days, she says Clallam and Jefferson County’s are doing better than most.

“In Clallam County we are still at the very beginning of that third wave, and so we are in a position to turn things around in our community that many other parts of the state are not. But the time to act is now. I think one thing that’s important for folks to remember is, pretty much every county except for us and Jefferson County is experiencing dramatic rises in cases. So if you can, avoid leaving the county, please do. If you have to leave the county, say for medical care or an emergency, please be cautious when you’re in other counties.”

The local surge of about 30 cases in the last 2 weeks is not isolated. Unthank said it’s spread across the county and in all age groups, including 4 cases at a long-term care facility, though she didn’t specify whether those cases were among staff or residents.

Dr. Unthank thinks there is a reasonable chance that we could see a vaccine available for first responders and healthcare workers as early as next month and, for the rest of us, early next year.