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

We are adding 128 new cases this week. The two-week case rate is 563 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. Explore the data 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.

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 her comments this morning to the County Commissioners, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry reported that the first case of Avian Flu has been found in a flock of domestic fowl in Jefferson. Dr. Berry said that this strain is “unlikely to transmit to humans.” She said this is serious for birds, and poultry farmers in particular. “The best thing to do to protect your birds from contracting avian influenza is to reduce their mixing with other birds, particularly wild birds,” Dr. Berry said. “If you have a pond on your property and your birds are interacting with ducks and other migratory species—that’s where we’re seeing a lot of that infection happen.” The primary sign of avian influenza in your flock is a sudden die off of multiple birds. Dr. Berry said to watch for respiratory illness in your birds– if suddenly your birds are sneezing and coughing, that’s a typical sign that should raise suspicion. She recommends reporting any deaths to WSDA. Jefferson’s flock is 1 of 29 cases positively identified in the state.

We are adding 112 new cases this week. The two-week case rate is 715 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.

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 18 new cases this week. The two-week case rate is 979 cases per 100,000 people. This week’s new cases are the total number of cases reported to us as of Friday, June 24, 2022. Future reports will have a full week’s total of new cases. Our current two-week case rate is within the high transmission risk range. At this level, it’s strongly recommended that 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.

Availability of pediatric vaccinations for those 6 months to 5 years has been delayed due to a shipping issue. Dr. Berry said Jefferson Healthcare/ Sheridan Clinic and Public Health will offer the shots the first week in July. Call 360-385-9400 to secure an appointment at Public Health.

The free Covid mask program coordinated though Emergency Management has been discontinued. Director Willie Bence said that demand has slowed “to a trickle.” Some grocery stores still have a supply, as does DEM.

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 BOCC meeting next Tuesday (due to the July 4 holiday).

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this Tuesday’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.

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. “Our public health nurses continue to spend many hours, including on weekends, compiling data in order to keep up with daily COVID-19 reporting,” said Dr. Allison Berry, Health Officer for Jefferson and Clallam Counties. “Our job is to give people the information they need in order to assess their own risks and make informed choices about how to stay healthier. At this stage of the pandemic, I believe transitioning to once-a-week reporting will provide the public with that information, while allowing our nurses to return more attention to our other public health programs.”

The first-ever weekly report is expected to publish on Monday, June 27 and appear every subsequent Monday. The weekly reported data will include the two-week case rate; the number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as well as all-time totals; a percent positivity of tests performed at Jefferson Healthcare; a bar chart showing hospitalizations by age and vaccination status. Jefferson County Public Health’s nurses have issued a COVID-19 report Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, since March 2020. Today, some of that data is no longer helpful when determining risk factors. For example, there is little evidence a person’s sex influences their risk of being infected with COVID-19. So, cases among those identified as female and those identified as male will no longer be included in the report. In addition to shifting to weekly reporting, data will now appear on a dashboard designed with new data presentation software. The public will be able to view and interact with a line graph of case rates over time. Hovering over certain data will reveal more information about how that data was collected. Jefferson County Public Health values input from members of the public. Anyone with questions or comments may send an email to info@jeffersoncountypublichealth.org.

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

In her weekly address to Commissioners, County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said there is a “plateauing of our cases overall and there isn’t the rise in hospitalizations that’s been seen in other parts of the country.” This low rate is consistent with all of the top four vaccinated counties in the state—that includes Jefferson and Clallam. Dr. Berry said the primary driver of our low hospitalizations is how vaccinated and boosted we are as a community. “If you are not vaccinated, we are still seeing severe disease and we are seeing death,” she said. Our case rates have risen slowly over the past week (to 873/100,000) but indicators point to a slowing of that rise. “I do think we are moving into a different phase of this response, where we will likely still see transmission in our community but we’re less likely to see severe disease,” Dr. Berry noted. “We have the tools we need to prevent severe disease due to COVID-19.” Dr. Berry said to continue to protect yourselves by wearing a mask in indoor settings and getting vaccinated and boosted.

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. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report.

COVID-19 case rates remain high in Jefferson County, according to County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry, but they seem to be plateauing. She told Commissioners today we have an 18% positivity rate, with a case rate of 823/100,000. There has been no surge in hospitalizations. “It’s interesting that we are seeing very, somewhat different patterns than what we’re seeing in the rest of the country,” she said. “Much of the rest of the country has experienced a surge in hospitalizations. The Northeast, the South and Midwest were really hit hard by a surge in hospitalizations. But in Jefferson and Clallam Counties, we really have not seen that. And that is most likely due to the very high rates of vaccination we have in our communities.” Dr. Berry said she’s hopeful that “we are moving truly into a more endemic phase of this virus. Now variants can always throw a wrench in those plans. But so far, we are moving into a more hopeful direction.” She recommends that everyone continue to wear masks in indoor settings.

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.

In our final regular edition of Through Science to Health, KPTZ host Chris Bricker speaks with Dr. Christine Skorberg, Medical Director of the Women’s Health Clinic at Jefferson Health Care. While in search of a new and all-inclusive name for the Clinic, her colleague, Dr. Asif Luqman, suggested its new appelation, OB/Guyne Clinic. Dr. Skorberg discusses her philosophy of relationship-based medicine, which is centered on listening, honest conversation, and respect for patients including all races, sexual orientation, situations, and lifestyle.  She describes the panorama of care and guidance that ranges from birth to vintage years and covers the services offered at the Clinic. Chris would like to acknowledge his former co-hosts who have provided their expertise, insight, and talent at different times over the course of our program’s run: Kate Keenan and Lynn Sorensen. A big Thank You from the Heart for your earlier contributions to the show!

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

Public Health Deputy Dr. Tom Locke told Commissioners this morning that COVID-19 cases are climbing throughout the U.S. by 53% and hospitalizations are going up as well. Washington is 15th on the list of states in terms of COVID-19 activity; cases are up 37% and hospitalizations area up 27%. Deaths are also increasing in the state. Jefferson’s two-week case rate is 848/100,000. Two people currently are hospitalized. The World Health Organization estimates the official global death rate to be 6.2 million. The U.S. has surpassed 1 million deaths, and Dr. Locke reported that three-quarters of these were in people 65+. Black, Hispanic, and Native American populations were disproportionally represented with almost two times the risk of death as their white counterparts. Harvard and the Brown School of Public Health computed that 318,000 people could have been saved if the U.S. had been fully vaccinated. As of today, 29 people in Jefferson County have died from COVID-19.

In Washington State, the BA.2 sub variant is the predominate COVID-19 strain. On the east coast, there is another strain – BA.2.12.1. Both of these are extremely transmissible and three times as contagious as Delta. These two covariants are partially resistant to prior immunity. The immunity derived from a vaccine or a prior infection is still very valuable but is not effective in preventing mild or moderate infection.

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.

Note: Due to the Memorial Day holiday, there will be no BOCC meetings, nor Public Health Briefings, on Monday, May 30. The next Briefings will take place on Monday, June 6. Please send any questions by Friday, June 3.

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, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

Click here to read complete notes on the day’s briefings

Even though KPTZ’s broadcast of Monday’s meeting was cut short due to technical issues, here is the complete recording of the meeting’s Public Health briefings by Dr. Berry and Willie Bence. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

Click here to read complete notes on the day’s briefings