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Thurston County sees record number of COVID-19 cases

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — COVID-19 cases are heading in the wrong direction in Thurston County.

“Anytime we see case counts start to rise, it’s concerning,” said Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek, health officer for Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

There have been more than 115 new cases of COVID-19 every week this month. The county has not seen weekly numbers in the triple digits since mid-July.

“I can understand why people are concerned when they see the numbers, but me, personally, no,” said Al Lopez, a Lacey resident.

Thurston County recorded 47 new cases Friday, its highest case count in a single day.

There’s a chance Thurston County will cross the threshold from “moderate” to “high” transmission, which is 75 confirmed cases per 100,000 people over 14 days.

“We are on trajectory to hit it a few days during this period given our recent bump, including our highest day that we’ve had in the pandemic to date,” Abdelmalek said.

The spike put a pause on increased in-person learning at schools. Sports, like soccer, are limited to groups of six.

“Right now we all have to be taking all of the precautions we can,” said Candice Bock, president of Thurston County Youth Soccer Association. “We have smaller teams so we keep the numbers on the fields in line with state guidance. We require coaches and players to keep masks on.”

The recent uptick in infections can be blamed on a few things:

  • Transmission between family, friends and co-workers
  • People traveling
  • Some people not isolating when told to by health officials

The health department is also investigating six outbreaks in long-term care facilities in Thurston County.

“It’s a reminder to do the things we’ve been doing since the beginning,” Abdelmalek said. “Wear a mask, keep your social distance, avoiding large gatherings, staying home when we’re sick, covering mouths when sneezing, and always, always wash your hands.”