Clallam County Superior Court has extended its suspension of jury trials into March due to the continued spread of COVID-19.
The court announced Friday that all criminal jury trials have been suspended until March 13.
Trials affected by the extension will be rescheduled at their next court date.
“The court finds that the serious nature posed by the COVID-19 virus is good cause to continue criminal trials and constitutes an unavoidable circumstance,” reads the declaration from the court.
Clallam County reported an increase of 146 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 9,218.
The county’s case rate went up Friday to 1,620 per 100,000 population for the past two weeks from 1,617 per 100,000 on Thursday.
Jefferson County reported a case rate of 1,236 per 100,000 on Friday and it reported an increase of 28, bringing its total to 2,514 total cases since the pandemic began.
Although case rates are trending down, hospitals are still filling up.
Olympic Medical Center had eight new patients hospitalized as of Friday morning, three of whom are in intensive care.
Jefferson Healthcare hospital had three new cases. Two were transferred to different hospitals, and one of them was in ICU.
Vaccinations
Jefferson County Public Health will host two COVID vaccination clinics in February.
The first will be at the Brinnon Community Center, 306144 U.S. Highway 101, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12. The clinic will have the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 and older and Moderna for all three doses for those 18 and older.
The second clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Chimacum High School on Feb. 19. The Pfizer vaccines will be available for children 5 and older, and Moderna will be available for all three doses for those 18 and older.
People can register online at https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/2012536969 for the Feb. 12 clinic, or at https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov/appointment/en/reg/1652990603 for the Feb. 19.
They can also call 360-344-9791 to make an appointment.
