Chelan & Douglas Counties Experience 3rd Straight Week of Spiking COVID-19 Cases; Hospitalizations Also Up

New numbers show a nearly 32 percent spike in COVID-19 cases in Chelan and Douglas counties.

The 14-day case rate released last night by the Chelan Douglas Health District follows two straight weeks of similar increases – 20 percent in the last week and 35 percent in the previous week.

The virus had consistently been subsiding in the region beforehand.

This week also marks the first time the state in reporting that the more contagious Delta variant is now the dominant strain of the virus in Washington.

The first case of the Delta strain in Chelan County was reported just two weeks ago.

The 14-day case rate reported Tuesday night for the two county district shows 161.3 cases per 100,000 people, about a 32 percent increase from the 110.2 cases per 100,000 reported by the health district on July 20. There were 90 cases per 100,000 in the July 13 update from the health district.

There are currently 13 people hospitalized from the virus in the two county area, up from nine reported by the district last week.

Central Washington Hospital, the only hospital serving the Wenatchee Valley, reported an even larger number of patients hospitalized Tuesday - 24.

The 14-day totals released Tuesday night show 109 new cases of COVID-19 in Chelan County and 90 new cases in Douglas County.  The previous week there were 79 new case in Chelan County and 50 in Douglas County.

The Washington State Department of Health released a statement Tuesday warning that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in the state.

With cases from the Delta variant rising, the agency is advising anyone who has signs or symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection.

The department is also strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated.

“I’m deeply concerned about areas of the state with lower vaccination rates now that a more infectious variant is likely to be the one that reaches those communities,” said Acting Chief Science Officer Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH. “If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated for any reason, now is the time to protect yourself, your family and everyone around you. With transmission increasing and immunity levels dangerously low in many communities, every vaccine matters.”