Both counties of the North Olympic Peninsula have reported case rates in the 300s per 100,000 population and are on track to reach a 200-cases-per-100,000 benchmark for lifting the proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor dining by Friday.
Clallam and Jefferson County health departments, under the leadership of Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry, had implemented a proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor dining at the height of the delta variant in September.
In February, as part of a settlement agreement with owners of six eateries who had sued over the requirement, Berry announced a benchmark and date had been set for lifting the mandate. The benchmark was 200 (or fewer) cases per 100,000 and the date was March 11.
“I trust the modeling that we’ll be at a safe rate by then,” Berry said in February.
Berry also said if the counties reach that benchmark early and sustain it, the mandate could be lifted early.
“I would like to make sure we sustain that rate for at least 24 hours before lifting the mandate early,” Berry said.
Both counties are likely to reach the threshold by next week.
Clallam County reported a case rate of 308 per 100,000 population on Friday. It added 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases that day, bringing its total since the pandemic began from 10,787 reported on Thursday to 10,800 on Friday.
Jefferson County updated its COVID-19 case rate Friday. It dropped from 525 cases per 100,000 population reported a week earlier to 385 per 100,000 on Friday. It added three new cases that day, bringing its total since the pandemic began from 3,088 on Thursday to 3,091 on Friday.
Case rates are the reflection of cases reported over a two-week period. They are computed using a formula based on 100,000 population even for counties that do not have 100,000 people living in them.
Jefferson County on Friday reported 68 people in isolation with active cases, down from 72 people on Thursday.
Clallam County does not report that metric but does report a daily average over a two-week period.
On its COVID-19 dashboard, Clallam County said on Friday that the average daily number of cases was 17, down from 19 on Thursday.
Another key component to lifting the vaccine mandate, as well as the statewide masking mandate on March 12, was hospital capacity.
Berry agreed to remove the health order for Clallam and Jefferson counties on March 11 if the existing countywide intensive care unit population is not at more than 90 percent capacity.
There are currently six Clallam County residents hospitalized with COVID-19. Three are at Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles with two in the intensive care unit (ICU). The other three are in ICUs out of the county.
Three Jefferson County residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19. All three of them are in hospitals outside the county, two in ICUs.
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Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
