Seven new COVID-19 positives were reported in Clallam County on Sunday as vaccination clinics in Sequim and Port Angeles continue gear up to provide shots for members of the state’s 1B1 group.
No new cases were reported Saturday or Sunday afternoon in Jefferson County.
Clallam County’s additional cases gave it 824 total positives since the pandemic began last March, including 36 since Friday. County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry Unthank said most of the positives from the weekend have been traced to New Year’s Eve parties.
Clallam County has 95 active cases and listed its infection rate at 113 cases per 100,000 population during the past two weeks. That figure will be recalculated today.
Jefferson County remained at 253 total cases with 27 active in isolation. It has an infection rate of 87.77 per 100,000 during the past two weeks.
Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke said that, unlike Clallam County, Jefferson County has not seen an uptick from New Year’s Eve gatherings, although positives from the holiday are still possible later this week.
Vaccination clinics
The Sequim clinic of the Moderna vaccine, run by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, will be a drive-through area from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, as well as Jan. 19, 21 and 23. A tent will be next to the James Center for the Performing Arts band shell in Carrie Blake Park, 202 N. Blake Ave.
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe clarified that its clinic will be for Sequim residents older than 70 only.
People 50 and older from multigenerational households, which are part of the 1B1 group, will not be included in the Sequim clinic because the tribe said it has no way to verify if those people are eligible.
Vaccinations will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. It is not necessary to be a Jamestown Family Health Clinic patient.
The check-in location will be in the parking lot of Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave. in Sequim.
Meanwhile, for Port Angeles and Forks residents, there will be two weekends of vaccinations on Jan. 16-17 and Jan. 23-24. Both clinics will be at Port Angeles High School, 304 E. Park Ave.
People are asked to schedule appointments.
Unthank said people can make appointments on the county website, www.clallam.net, beginning Wednesday.
Unthank said it’s expected that 500 vaccines a day will be provided at the Port Angeles clinics, while the hope in Sequim is to vaccinate as many as 4,000 people.
Unthank said there are no plans at this time for a mass vaccination clinic located in the Forks area and that people on the West End of the county are invited to schedule a vaccination at one of the Port Angeles clinics.
Locke said a similar drive-through vaccination clinic is planned at Jefferson Healthcare, although a specific day has not been set yet.
Locke will provide a COVID-19 update to the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners beginning at 9:45 a.m. today. It can be viewed at www.tinyurl.com/jeffcomeetings.
Locke said Jefferson County has a vaccination plan slightly different from Clallam County. Since Jefferson County has such a large elderly population, people 85 and older are first in line for the vaccine, and people between 70-85 are next in line.
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Sports editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached by email at plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
