Delta variant COVID-19 infection found in Jefferson County resident

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Health officials reported the first confirmed infection of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Jefferson County Monday.

Dr. Allison Berry, public health officer for Jefferson County, said the discovery of the Delta variant here had been expected.

Berry, who is also public health officer for Clallam County, said Jefferson’s neighboring county has had 15 residents test positive for the Delta variant.

The confirmation of the Delta variant in Jefferson County comes as the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections continues to spike.

“We are unfortunately seeing continued significant surges of COVID-19 throughout the country, and the state and unfortunately now reaching Jefferson County, as well,” Berry told county commissioners during their weekly pandemic update Monday.

“In the country as a whole, we’ve seen a four-fold increase in cases in the last month,” Berry said. “Cases are up 149 percent in the last week.”

The national uptick in COVID cases is being led primarily by southern states, Berry said, with the worst outbreaks reported in Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Florida.

Hospitals are bearing the brunt.

“We’re seeing ICUs fill up in parts of the country again,” Berry said.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are rising in Washington, with a 33 percent increase.

Berry also noted “very high numbers” in Jefferson County.

A total of 518 cases were reported Monday afternoon, an increase of six cases from Friday’s numbers.

Berry said Jefferson County’s COVID case rate is the second highest it’s been since the start of the pandemic. The last peak of a similar height was during last year’s holiday surge.

The increase now is “primarily driven by unvaccinated folks,” Berry said, and by people who are traveling, contracting the virus, and bringing it home, where the coronavirus has been spread to family and friends and workplaces.

Berry noted the high case numbers were caused by a combination of people who have not gotten vaccinated and the Delta variant of the disease.

“The Delta variant is profoundly contagious,” she said.

Berry added that 97 percent of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the United States involve unvaccinated people.

The numbers for Washington state are comparable, she said.

“94 to 95 percent of our infections are in unvaccinated folks,” she said.

All six new cases in JeffCo were found in mid-county residents.

Two of the new cases of coronavirus were found in residents under the age of 20, while the other confirmed tests of COVID-19 were found in two residents in their 20s, and two in their 30s.