The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by Jim Burke, producer of KPTZ’s Tuesday’s Local News.

Dr. Berry said the national COVID-19 trends are mixed. Cases and hospitalizations are declining, but over 400 people are still dying every day across the US. The Northeast and the West coast are starting to see another rise in cases, and this includes Washington State where cases are up 11% overall, but especially among older patients in long-term care who are getting sick and being hospitalized due to COVID-19, on the east side of the state where vaccination, even in those facilities, is less common.

In Jefferson County, the two-week COVID-19 case rate is 460 per hundred thousand, a definite rise from last week and that keeps Jeffco in the high category. No one is currently hospitalized. 108 new cases were added this week for a total of 5,961 cases. Jefferson County’s total count of COVID-19-related deaths is still 31. Dr. Berry says the rise in cases is being driven by a rise in cases in schools at this point.

In Clallam County the two-week COVID-19 case-rate is 170 per hundred thousand, 59 new cases for a total of 15,636 cases since the pandemic began. 2 people are hospitalized at this time. Clallam County’s total count of COVID-19-related deaths is still 124. There has been only one detected case of MPV in Clallam County.

Everyone 12 and over who has had a booster shot more than two months ago is now eligible for the bivalent booster shot, and Dr. Berry says there is now ample supply. So now, even if you are not in a high-risk group you can and should seek out the bivalent booster.

Commissioner Eisenhour asked Dr. Berry what will happen on October 31, when the COVID-19 emergency declaration ends. Funding for Dr. Berry’s work will decrease dramatically, so in November the frequency of Public Health Briefings will go to once a month. If you have any lingering COVID-19 or monkeypox or any other public-health-related questions for Dr. Berry, you might want to send them in over the next four weeks.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today said that Jefferson’s case rates for COVID-19 are flat from last week, although two people are currently hospitalized. She reported that Omicron-specific boosters are widely available in our community, through vaccination clinics, local pharmacies, Safeway in Port Townsend, and Jefferson Healthcare. The vaccine is available to anyone 12 years and older,and if it’s been 2 months since your infection with COVID-19 or two months since your last vaccination.

There are still no documented cases of MPV in Jefferson County. Nationwide, there are more than 24,000 cases reported. Dr. Berry urges all those who have had multiple partners in the last year, or any gay or bisexual person who has sex with men regardless of one’s sexual history to be vaccinated. Public Health has the vaccine available – call them at 360-385-9400 or sign up online: https://tinyurl.com/mpvvaccinejeffco.

Flu season is here and Dr. Berry encourages you to get your flu shot which can be done at the same time you are getting the COVID-19 Omicron vaccine. She said masking goes a long way to reduce transmission of the flu, too and suggested that we should mask indoors to protect our vulnerable citizens. “The biggest thing that we can do to protect ourselves and our community as we move into the fall is to get vaccinated with our COVID-19 boosters and our flu shot,” Dr. Berry said. “That’s how we protect ourselves, our neighbors and our healthcare system as we move into the fall.”

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence announced two new vax clinics using the Pfizer bivalent vaccine are scheduled for the community at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend Saturday, October 1; and at Quilcene School on October 8. Call the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) or go to the Public Health website to sign up. DEM is considering adding more clinics late in October.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

During today’s County Commissioner Covid update, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry, said, “the news is positive.” In Jefferson, COVID-19 case rates are flat at 324/100,000. Positivity is downtrending to 8.5%, with a case ascertainment rate of about 50%. There’s been a dramatic drop off in wastewater surveillance in Port Townsend, down about 75% in July, and last month down about 20%. No one is hospitalized for COVID-19 locally. One death occurred last week, a woman in her 80s with multiple chronic conditions who was fully vaccinated but not boosted.

Dr. Berry urges anyone over 65 to get the Omicron-specific booster. She notes it’s the same base formulation for the vaccine, but the target is different. It’s specifically targeted to BA.4 and BA.5 which are the current circulating variants. “Unlike the other boosters that have come before, this one really promises to prevent symptomatic disease as a whole, not just prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death,” she said. Jefferson has a limited supply of the vaccine, but should be getting more within the text month. “If you are over 65, if you are immunosuppressed, or if you are a healthcare worker or a first responder – primarily because we take care of those folks at high risk – we recommend you get vaccinated in this first round,” Dr. Berry said. “For everyone else in our community, we strongly recommend you get vaccinated, too. But we’d really encourage you to hold on for about a month so that we can get these highest risk folks vaccinated first.” Mass vaccination booster clinics were previously announced but available appointments are already filled. Options include Jefferson Healthcare and local pharmacies. You can also put your name on a wait-list via the Jefferson County Public Health website.

Dr. Berry clarified some misinformation about the Omicron specific booster: “There’s some misinformation circulating saying that there weren’t safety trials for the Omicron-specific booster and that’s not true,” Dr. Berry said. “This vaccine is the same one that we’ve been using this whole time. So all of the safety trials related to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also apply to the Omicron specific booster. The only change is the target. So the most similar analogy I could share is that when we vaccinate for the flu every year, we change the target every year to whatever variants are circulating in the world.” She continued, “But we don’t do a whole new round of safety trials every fall prior to rolling out the flu vaccine because the base vaccine is the same. So that’s why you’re not seeing a new round of safety trials. It’s not not normal to do when the base vaccine is the same and the target is different. So it’s just targeting the Omicron variants as opposed to the wild type theory.”

The State of Emergency that was put in place by Governor Jay Inslee will end October 31. Dr. Berry reported that many of the orders related to COVID-19 have already expired or have been revoked, with only a few remaining concerning emergency credentialing. “The one order that is not expiring is the requirement for masks in healthcare settings,” Dr. Berry explained. “So as long term care facility, certain correctional settings and all healthcare facilities, you can expect your providers will still be masked in those settings and you will be expected to wear a mask as well.”

Dr. Berry said there were no reported cases of Monkeypox (MPV) in Jefferson County and one in Clallam County. In the state, 497 cases have been diagnosed; nationwide there are over 21,000 cases. Jefferson has the Jynneos vaccine and is vaccinating now. Anyone can get MPV. Vaccine eligibility has been extended to include those who have had an STI in the last year, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, and anyone who has injected drugs in the last few months.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said our degraded air quality is improving rapidly here in Jefferson County as the wind has shifted to an onshore flow. A large fire near Stevens Pass combined with a small brush fire locally at the intersection of 104 and 101 led to the unhealthy air. Bence also referenced the 3.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred Thursday morning on the Toandos Peninsula. He requested that those who felt it be “citizen scientists” and complete the “Did You Feel It?“ questionnaire for the USGS.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

During today’s County Commissioner COVID-19 update, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry, said, “the news is positive.” In Jefferson, COVID-19 case rates are flat at 324/100,000. Positivity is downtrending to 8.5%, with a case ascertainment rate of about 50%. There’s been a dramatic drop off in wastewater surveillance in Port Townsend, down about 75% in July, and last month down about 20%. No one is hospitalized for COVID-19 locally. One death occurred last week, a woman in her 80s with multiple chronic conditions who was fully vaccinated but not boosted.

Dr. Berry urges anyone over 65 to get the Omicron-specific booster. She notes it’s the same base formulation for the vaccine, but the target is different. It’s specifically targeted to BA.4 and BA.5 which are the current circulating variants. “Unlike the other boosters that have come before, this one really promises to prevent symptomatic disease as a whole, not just prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death,” she said. Jefferson has a limited supply of the vaccine, but should be getting more within the text month. “If you are over 65, if you are immunosuppressed, or if you are a healthcare worker or a first responder – primarily because we take care of those folks at high risk – we recommend you get vaccinated in this first round,” Dr. Berry said. “For everyone else in our community, we strongly recommend you get vaccinated, too. But we’d really encourage you to hold on for about a month so that we can get these highest risk folks vaccinated first.” Mass vaccination booster clinics were previously announced but available appointments are already filled. Options include Jefferson Healthcare and local pharmacies. You can also put your name on a wait list via the Jefferson County Public Health website.

Dr. Berry clarified some misinformation about the Omicron specific booster: “There’s some misinformation circulating saying that there weren’t safety trials for the Omicron-specific booster and that’s not true,” Dr. Berry said. “This vaccine is the same one that we’ve been using this whole time. So all of the safety trials related to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also apply to the Omicron specific booster. The only change is the target…So the most similar analogy I could share is that when we vaccinate for the flu every year, we change the target every year to whatever variants are circulating in the world.” She continued,”But we don’t do a whole new round of safety trials every fall prior to rolling out the flu vaccine because the base vaccine is the same. So that’s why you’re not seeing a new round of safety trials. It’s not not normal to do when the base vaccine is the same and the target is different. So it’s just targeting the Omicron variants as opposed to the wild type theory.”

The State of Emergency that was put in place by Governor Jay Inslee will end October 31. Dr. Berry reported that many of the orders related to COVID-19 have already expired or have been revoked, with only a few remaining concerning emergency credentialing. “The one order that is not expiring is the requirement for masks in healthcare settings,” Dr. Berry explained. “So aT long-term care facilitIES, certain correctional settings, and all healthcare facilities, you can expect your providers will still be masked in those settings and you will be expected to wear a mask as well.”

Dr. Berry said there were no reported cases of Monkeypox (MPV) in Jefferson County and one in Clallam County. In the state, 497 cases have been diagnosed; nationwide there are over 21,000 cases. Jefferson has the Jynneos vaccine and is vaccinating now. Anyone can get MPV. Vaccine eligibility has been extended to include those who have had a STI (sexually transmitted infection) in the last year, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, and anyone who has injected drugs in the last few months.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said our degraded air quality is improving rapidly here in Jefferson County as the wind has shifted to an onshore flow. A large fire near Stevens Pass combined with a small brush fire locally at the intersection of 104 and 101 led to the unhealthy air. Bence also referenced the 3.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred Thursday morning on the Toandos Peninsula. He requested that those who felt it be “citizen scientists” and complete the “Did You Feel It/“ questionnaire for the USGS. Here’s a link.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

Cases of Omicron are falling across the US and that’s true for Jefferson as well. Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today said that our case rate is 463/100,000 with a 13% positivity are, down from last week. Our case ascertainment rate hovers around 40%. Two people who were hospitalized last week have been discharged, however one person is still a patient at Jefferson Healthcare. Dr. Berry said the Port Townsend sewer measurement for COVID-19 is also down by about 15% from last week. “COVID-19 can still be very dangerous and especially if you’re over 65 It’s really important to move forward and get your second booster at this point” she said. “The most important thing any of us can do to protect ourselves and others is to stay up to date in our vaccines, and then also to wear a high quality mask when we’re indoors around others.

Omicron-specific boosters are going to be available a bit earlier than originally scheduled – now as soon as mid-September. It is unknown how much vaccine will be delivered to Jefferson. Dr. Berry said the shot will be prioritized for those at highest risk, particularly those over 65. Public Health will again work with DEM and healthcare colleagues to gear up for vaccination clinics. Plans are currently in development. The vaccination should be available through Jefferson Healthcare and local pharmacies as well.

MPV is not circulating in Jefferson County, but there has been a diagnosed case In Clallam. Reports are that the man did not contract it through sex, but at a dance party through skin-to-skin contact. Contact tracing has taken place. “We know that this virus is disproportionately affecting the gay community but it can affect anyone,” Dr. Berry explained. “It’s just spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact. If you have any rash that’s atypical for you, particularly a painful one, please do get tested right away.”

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following week’s BOCC meeting (on Tuesday, September 6 due to Labor Day).

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

COVID-19 rates in Jefferson County are trending down, just like those in Washington and the U.S. County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry continues to recommend isolation when positive, wearing a high quality mask when inside, and be sure the room you are in has good ventilation. She also reminds us to be up-to-date on vaccines. If you are sick, get tested.

Port Townsend’s wastewater is being monitored for COVID-19 and data confirms a decrease in number of cases. “We’ve been getting data back from the sewer system since early July,” Dr. Berry reported. She said there has been a 75% reduction in the sheer amount of COVID-19. Dr. Berry admits that’s only one month of data and that there could be other factors in play that may affect the numbers. For instance, if there is a large festival in Port Townsend and lots of people came in and used the sewer system, that would affect those numbers. But she reports that we are seeing really a consistent trend down since early July.

In Washington, 65 cases of Monkeypox — MPV — have been reported, with no cases in Jefferson. Currently, the vast majority of MPV cases are in gay and bisexual men and other men and transgender individuals who have sex with men. We are seeing that primarily MPV spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, and particularly not exclusively through sex and in the gay and bisexual communities. Dr. Berry cited a large outbreak in Europe after a couple of large dance parties. “If you’ve had an STD in the last year, or if you’ve experienced homelessness or incarceration in the last three months, or if you belong to a historically marginalized racial minority, and you are gay, bisexual or another man or transgender person who has sex with men, all of those things could qualify you for a vaccine,” Dr. Berry said. The Jynneos vaccine is most commonly used to prevent monkeypox infections, and consists of two doses given four weeks apart. No doses have been allocated for Jefferson, but Clallam has 20 doses. If you meet the criteria, call Jefferson County Public Health at 360-385-9400 or Clallam County Public Health at 360-417-2274.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said that we are having a quiet wildfire season so far. According to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, which covers Washington and Oregon, this time last year, had we had 86 large fires in the region which burned a little under 1.5 million acres. This year, we’ve only seen 21. large fires are a little over 100,000 acres. He reminds everyone to take personal actions like using an ashtray, not parking in long grass and obeying the rules of the burn ban to mitigate the risks.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County are experiencing a downturn, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry reported to Commissioners Monday. The case rate is 547/100, with a 17% positivity. She said that suggests approximately a 40% case ascertainment rate. One person remains hospitalized from last week and “has been quite ill and remains ventilated.” It is reported this person was unvaccinated. “We still are only catching about less than half of the cases that we have,” she explained. “The COVID-19 front is starting to improve and that is very hopeful on our end. It’s unclear yet how much longer that trend will continue but we are hopeful that we’re seeing numbers turn around in the right direction.”

For those who have been concerned about vaccine formulations for COVID-19, the CDC has published an ingredients list for Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax and J&J Janssen.

The site explains, “All COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured with as few ingredients as possible and with very small amounts of each ingredient. Each ingredient in the vaccine serves a specific purpose…” This page also show links on the left side of the page to the other vaccines.

Dr. Berry reported 166 cases of Monkeypox (MPV) in Washington State. No cases have been diagnosed in Clallam or Jefferson Counties. Monkeypox is a painful rash that usually starts out as red bumps that then scab over. It can happen on any part of the body. It can be spread through any skin-to-skin contact, most commonly though sexual contact. “At this point it is disproportionately affecting men in the gay community,” Dr. Berry explained. “Men who identify as gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men. We are not seeing broad transmission in the community as a whole at this point. To protect yourself, she suggests to limit exposure with new sexual partners. If you have a new rash, get checked. Symptoms for Monkeypox include fever and chills, and can present prior to the rash. For those who have been exposed, Public Health has limited access to the Jynneos vaccine which is in short supply and is not readily available in Jefferson County.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

During today’s Commissions meeting, County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said Jefferson County COVID-19 case rates are down this week compared to last. Jefferson has a case rate of 690/100,000 and a relatively high percent positivity rate of 17%. One person is hospitalized. Dr. Berry again recommended wearing a high-quality mask in indoor settings to reduce transmission and to get fully vaccinated and boosted – that’s three doses for anyone under 65 and four doses for everyone over 65 and those who are immunosuppressed. Covid tests are sold over the counter at major pharmacies; they are free at Public Health. Tests also are available through the libraries, south County fire stations and the Bookmobile. You may also order them: sayyescovidtest.org. Tests are good for 18 months from time of manufacture. Dr. Berry said they probably last longer than that if stored at room temperature. Masks are good as long as they fit your face. If the elastic becomes stretched and the fit is not tight, or if it becomes soiled, then it’s time for a fresh one.

Monkeypox is in Washington State. There have been 118 cases; in Kitsap County, there were two cases diagnosed last week. The virus is spread through contact – close skin contact that is prolonged with another person. Monkeypox presents as a rash that’s atypical for you. It can appear anywhere on your body and it’s generally quite painful with raised red bumps that eventually scab over and look like chickenpox, shingles, and herpes. If you believe you’ve been exposed, contact your healthcare provider. There is limited availability of vaccine. For the general population, the total risk of Monkeypox is low. Safe practices like limiting sexual partners, using protection, and avoiding very crowded, close-in person contact keeps the risk relatively low.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

We are adding 143 new cases this week. The two-week case rate is 786 cases per 100,000 people. Our current two-week case rate is within the high transmission risk range. At that level, it’s strongly recommended everyone wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask while in public, indoor places. View even more data on our website’s COVID-19 Case Information page: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1466/Case-Information
#HealthyInJeffCoWA#COVID19ResponseinJeffCoWA

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

In this weekly COVID-19 case update, as of July 15 there have been 138 new cases reported, with a 712 per 100,000 case rate and a positivity rate of 16.4% over the past two weeks. There are no new hospitalizations and no new deaths.

We are adding 138 new cases this week. The two-week case rate is 712 cases per 100,000 people. Our current two-week case rate is within the high transmission risk range. At that level, it’s strongly recommended everyone wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask while in public, indoor places. Jefferson County Public Health is streamlining its COVID-19 case data reporting as it transitions from an emergency response to a more sustainable and long-term approach to monitoring the virus. The first-ever weekly report published on Monday, June 27 and will appear every subsequent Monday. In addition to shifting to weekly reporting, data will now appear on an interactive dashboard designed with new data presentation software. Explore the dashboard on our website’s COVID-19 Case Information page:
https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1466/Case-Information
#HealthyInJeffCoWA#COVID19ResponseinJeffCoWA

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.