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 County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry’s weekly update, she noted that cases are rising on the west coast and throughout the U.S. Additionally, she feels there is a “dramatic undercount” because the vast majority of the country doesn’t count home antigen tests in their reported totals. Locally, home tests account for 70% of our positive cases. Washington state believes that they’re capturing about 16% of the positive cases in their counts right now. Dr. Berry noted that hospitalizations are beginning to rise which she noted is a “concerning trend.”

Because both Jefferson and Clallam counties are in the high risk transmission zone (above 200 cases per 100,000), Dr. Berry strongly recommends masking in indoor settings. “I think that transition back is going to take a little bit of time, she noted. “Many, many people in our communities got the message that COVID-19 was over when a lot of the restrictions went away so I think it’s going to take a little time to get everybody on board with masking in indoor settings again. I do think it’s a really good idea to do so. We’re seeing quite a bit of COVID-19 transmission. “If you’re in an indoor space with people you don’t know and you don’t know their vaccination status, that’s a space where it’s a really good idea to wear a mask. But, if you are in a private setting, I think a small dinner party is reasonable. If you are going to have a party with 10 or more people regardless of their vaccination status, I would recommend wear a mask in a setting like that. ”Dr. Berry suggested that location is important, too. For example, when visiting a care facility or a high-risk family member, wear a high-quality mask. Consider testing before you go and, if you are symptomatic, postpone your visit.

Dr. Berry noted that COVID-19 at-home testing is an important measure to determine if you are infected. Here’s the protocol from Dr. Berry: If you just have a mild symptom and it goes away and you test and it’s negative, that’s good enough. If you’re testing just because you’ve traveled and you don’t have any symptoms, a single test should be enough for you. But if you are sick, especially if you’re vaccinated, we know that your symptoms tend to start very early and sometimes even before your viral load has caught up enough to get to turn positive on a test. So, especially for our fully-vaccinated folks – but really for anyone – if you get sick and you take a test on that first day that you have symptoms and it’s negative, but those symptoms persist, take another test the next day. We’ve seen people turn positive 24 to 48 hours later, especially if you’re vaccinated, because your viral loads are low. That’s good. Your low viral load makes you less likely to transmit to other people and less likely to get severe symptoms, but you could still turn positive later. If you’re sick, take more than one test. There are an ample supply of antigen tests right now. If you’re still sick a couple days later, definitely still stay home whenever you’re symptomatic. And take a test again the next day. Test kits are available at Jefferson County Public Health, the libraries, and the fire departments in South County. They are also available free of charge from the State: https://sayyescovidtest.org. Order now to have a supply when needed.

As for Booster shots, Dr. Berry noted that the first booster is the most important one. “It would be reasonable if you are 75 and up and you have underlying conditions, consider getting that fourth booster just as a safety precaution,” she said.

If you are 65 and older, test positive for COVID-19, and are at a high risk for severe disease, there is an 5-day course of oral medication available. In Jefferson County, contact the Jefferson Healthcare COVID Nurse Consult Hotline for information on how to access the prescription: 360-344-3094.

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.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today reported that although Jefferson County doesn’t have a high number of deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19, there’s now a high transmission rate and a 9% positivity rate. About 70-90% of our cases now are found through home antigen testing. There are two small clusters in schools, numbering three cases each, that are related to unmasking in classroom settings. There has been no further spread within the schools. There is also one long-term health care facility affected in Jefferson County. Dr. Berry strongly recommends wearing the highest quality KN95, KF94 or K95 mask you can find when in public, indoor places. “I don’t go into an unmasked space without a high quality mask,” she said. She said the trigger to go back to mandatory masking would be “if we saw a rise in severe disease in hospitalization and death.” If you contract COVID-19, Dr. Berry said to isolate for 10 days. After 10 days, you are not contagious. For more information, call the hotline at Jefferson Healthcare: 360-344-3094.

Dr. Berry this morning also discussed the need for a second booster or fourth dose. She explained that it does decrease your risk of COVID-19 disease for about four weeks. But it doesn’t dramatically change the prevention against severe disease. The first booster is still providing excellent protection. She said that the vaccines we have available now “cannot prevent all infection and make it so it’s 100% you don’t get COVID-19. However, they still reduce your risk of getting COVID-19 and dramatically reduce your risk of getting very sick and dying.” Dr. Berry said one of the myths circulating is that getting COVID-19 provides a lifetime immunity. “When we look at databases of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, we’re seeing it in reinfected people and in relatively high rates when you get beyond the 90-day threshold,” Dr. Berry explained. “It really matters to get vaccinated if you’ve had a a prior infection.” She also said that if you’ve had a breakthrough infection on top of getting vaccinated, you are pretty well protected and that it is the equivalent of four doses of vaccine.“ The risk from contracting COVID-19 yourself is primarily giving it to someone else who would die,” she said.

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.

Every month, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker has been bringing you not only discussion and updates surrounding the Pandemic, but also insights and discoveries emerging from it. And, in our flurries of focus over the past few years, we’ve often forgotten to talk about the importance of Public Health in general, and about the many programs and services it provides for our community on behalf of the Common Good. This week we speak with Dr. Allison Berry, Clallam and Jefferson Counties Health Officer, who’s passion, dedication and tenacity has led a stellar staff in making healthy things happen for all of us who live in the region.

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.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today reported local COVID-19 case rates are at 270/100,000 putting us in the higher risk zone where she strongly recommends masking indoors with a high quality mask. Our percent positivity is up to 8.5%. In Jefferson, there is an online form where people can submit a positive home test. Dr. Berry said that between 70-90% of cases reported are from home antigen tests. Here is a link to a site where you can securely report your test results: https://app.smartsheet.com/…/7146918f3f854cf6bfdfffc4f0…

The latest surge is being driven by the BA.2 variant that makes up about 75% of the positive tests in the County and the reduction in mitigation measures. People are going to stores, restaurants and school unmasked. “If we saw (hospitalizations rise) in other parts of the country, that might change our mitigations here….that’s really the trigger,” Dr. Berry said. “We’ve gotten our vaccines, we’ve gotten our boosters and so many of us had recent infection with COVID-19,” she continued. “And so between those two, we are hopeful that we can prevent severe disease.”

Influenza is on the rise in Jefferson. “Now is a really good time to get vaccinated,” Dr. Allison Berry explained. “It’s important to remember that while influenza is less dangerous than COVID-19, it still can be quite dangerous, especially people for people who are very young, for people who are elderly, or for people who have underlying chronic conditions.” Influenza vaccines are available from pharmacies, the local health office, and your physician. Dr. Berry said masking will help keep transmission of the flu in check.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry addressed the need for the second booster shot. “There is an option for a second booster which is a fourth dose for anyone 50 and over in the United States,” she explained. “The data around that booster is that it is safe…It’s not clear yet that it’s needed though, because we are still seeing excellent protection from three doses.” She stressed that the most important thing to do to prevent risk of severe disease is to get vaccinated and get that first booster for a total of three doses for most. “If you are immunosuppressed, that fourth dose is really critical,” Dr. Berry continued. “If you’re taking immunosuppressive medications, if you have a genetic immunodeficiency, if you’re getting treated for cancer, or if you have had a cancer in the past, it’s been successfully treated. All of those, folks. Really good idea to get that fourth dose. Everyone else. It’s not clear yet how necessary it is. It’s certainly a reasonable option.” Fourth doses are available locally in our healthcare system, at pharmacies, and at Jefferson County Public Health.

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.

Jefferson’s COVID-19 cases have reached a plateau in the moderate range which indicates a recommendation for masking in indoor settings, according to County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. The Health Department is monitoring the Omicron BA.2 variant which is a more contagious version than its BA.1 predecessor but not more severe. She advised that this version, which is now the dominate one, is moving though western Washington’s I-5 corridor. She expects it will arrive in Jefferson in the next couple weeks. Masking, vaccination and good quality air ventilation in indoor spaces are the tools that are working to keep the rate of infection down.

Dr. Berry reported that approval has been given for a second booster for everyone 50 years old and older in the U.S. According to Berry, it is “safe” and a “very reasonable choice to get an additional booster….The area where we have a little less data is really on the necessity of an additional booster at this time,” she said. We’re still seeing very good protection against severe disease from three doses.” Dr. Berry said that if you are over 75 with multiple underlying comorbidities, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get boosted. COVID-19 vaccines are available at pharmacies and at Jefferson County Public Health, as well as through your health care provider and Jefferson Healthcare.

Director of Emergency Management (DEM) Willie Bence said there are no plans to scale up the mass vaccination clinics that were previously held. The DEM is focused on provide any vaccines to those who are homebound or have mobility issues. Call 360-344-9791 for more information. Test kits are available though the health department and libraries. In south county, antigen tests are available at the fire departments. Test kits may also be purchased online.

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 case rates are rising in Jefferson since the masking mandate was lifted, reported County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. With a two-week case rate of 65/100,000 and 2% positivity, the numbers are projected to go up. So far, no cases of the B2 variant have been reported and it is not projected to be the dominate strain here.

During her report to the Commissioners, Dr. Berry announced that Jefferson County has the highest number of boosted residents in the state, overtaking San Juan County. Dr. Berry said there is no data yet available as to whether the general population will need a 4th dose of vaccine. She said that those over 65 may be eligible if approval is given. Any high-risk individual with underlying immunity issues or severe disease is eligible for a second booster at this time. Dr. Berry strongly recommends that they receive all 4 shots.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said the mass vaccination clinics that were so successful have wrapped up and local pharmacies are now able to meet the demand. He said there are no plans for 4th dose clinics at this time.The Department’s focus is partnering with public health to reach out to those homebound individuals who have limited mobility and offer booster shots. Call the hotline at 360-344-9791 and leave a message.

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.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today said case rates in Jefferson have reached the low risk threshold. Jefferson’s case rate is 71/100,000 with a 2.9% positivity rate. This information now will be updated Tuesdays and Fridays. She said most people can safely unmask in indoor spaces if they are at low risk for severe disease. For those who are at a higher risk for severe disease – which Dr.Berry points out is a “decent proportion” of our community – she suggests continued masking until we get below 50 cases per 100,000 threshold. She believes that will occur by next Friday.

Dr. Berry addressed the BA 2 sub-variant of COVID-19 – a more contagious version of the Omicron variant – that now is prevalent in the UK. Cases there are up 79% and hospitalizations are up 40%. She believes the relaxed mitigation measures combined with waning immunity have caused BA2’s transmission to spike. The UK is considering a fourth vaccination. The FDA Advisory Committee is reviewing data and on March 30 will make a recommendation about another dose in the U.S. Jefferson does not have any of the BA 2 sub-variant, however, Clallam has had its first case. In Washington, about 9% of the specimens are BA 2.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence didn’t address COVID-19 during his weekly address to Commissioners. He spoke of the high temperatures expected this summer due to climate change. He discussed the possibility of cooling centers being opened in Brinnon, Quilcene, Chimacum and Port Townsend. In order to stay informed, the NIXEL alert system texts important local information during an emergency. Bence said everyone should be getting the alerts. Cooling centers will be one bit of info pushed out on the system if the situation warrants. To sign up: www.jeffcoeoc.org. The link is on the right side of the page at the top.

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 said that COVID-19 cases continue to fall in Jefferson County. Total case numbers are 3,130, putting the case rate at 189/100,000, dipping below her desired threshold of 200/100,000, Our percent positivity is 7.4 which is also downtrending. Jefferson is no longer in the high risk category, moving to medium risk for COVID-19 transmission rates. Dr. Berry is recommending mask wearing in indoor settings until the case rate is below 100/100,000. This is especially important in crowded indoor spaces where vaccination status is unknown. Masking is also recommended for those who are in a high risk group or who are immunocompromised, on cancer treatments, or taking immunosuppressive medications. She anticipates a small surge in cases in a couple weeks because the mask mandate has been lifted. She does not anticipate a super-spreader event like the previous ones. For the long term, Dr. Berry believes COVID-19 will become a more severe version of the flu that moves in a seasonal pattern. She said that summer will be a time to enjoy the outdoors, but anticipates next fall/winter there could be a spike in case numbers as the population retreats back indoors.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence today said the EOC emergency response to COVID-19 has turned the corner and is now in an ongoing maintenance mode. Meetings with Public Health and informational briefings with leadership and partners will remain in place on a weekly basis until the end of this month. The large mass vaccination clinics have been scaled back. Stores are being supplied with masks for the public. He had high praise for the many volunteers who turned out to help with the response. “We had hundreds of people come forward over the past few years and come out with a response for my department, whether it be doctors or nurses who are actually administering shots,” Bence recalled. “We have logistics volunteers who help with putting up parking cones and helping with traffic control. They’re helping set up and clean up after clinic, things like that. So we are absolutely going to maintain those those volunteer resources.” Bence said he has plans to establish the “Medical Reserve Corps,” a volunteer program composed of doctors and nurses who can be called upon during a future pandemic or emergency event. The next few months will be a time for the EOC to conduct focus groups and hold conversations about what worked and didn’t during the response to the pandemic. A report to the Commissioners will be provided when the information becomes available.

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 Jefferson County’s COVID-19 case numbers continue to drop. She announced that our documented case rate is 385/100,000 with a 10% positivity rate. “This week, we are transitioning from the pandemic phase of our response to the endemic,” Dr. Berry said. “In the endemic phase, we are transitioning to a period where where don’t think COVID-19 is going to overwhelm critical parts of our infrastructure.” She said our society will be able to function with this level of disease right now. She noted Jefferson is moving toward “not mandating” masks in indoor spaces, but rather “recommending them.” The reason: our case rates are still relatively high. “So right now, in Jefferson County, if you walk into a room with 25 people and you’re all unmasked, there is a 17% probability that one of those people has COVID-19,” she explained. “And so that’s why we still recommend you wear a mask because that’s a pretty high probability that someone has COVID-19. When we see those case rates continue to go down, when they get to less than 100 cases per 100,000, that probability goes down to 5%. And so that’s why we think it’s reasonable to start unmasking when we get to that rate.”

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence said DEM efforts are focused on an after-action review of Jefferson’s COVID-19 response. His team is restocking KN95 masks in some stores and will continue as long as the state program is making them available. If you are looking for a booster dose, are homebound, or have limited mobility, call 360-344-9791 and leave a message. Bence said his team is “happy to come and pay you a visit.” Vaccinations are increasing at about 1% a week. There is a rise in vaccinations for kids in our community. Currently 53% of middle- and high school-aged kids are fully vaccinated.

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.