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PORT TOWNSEND — A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in a Jefferson County resident who has not lived in the county since early February and Clallam County officials are investigating who had contact with a man who visited the county and later tested positive for the virus.
The Jefferson County man, who is in his 70s, was exposed to the virus after he moved to a long-term care facility in King County last month and has been admitted to the Seattle VA Medical Center for care, said Dr. Tom Locke, Jefferson County public health officer.
“Jefferson County Public Health has completed its case investigations,” Locke said in a press release issued Friday.
“No Jefferson County residents were exposed to this individual during the infectious period and no quarantine recommendations have been issued.”
The first case confirmed in Jefferson County was man in his 60s who was exposed to the virus while visiting Kirkland, Lockes has said. He also was treated at Seattle VA Medical Center and returned home to recover. He is said to be fine now.
“No cases of coronavirus infection linked to exposure in Jefferson County have yet been documented,” Locke said.
No cases of the virus have been confirmed in Clallam County, but the contacts of a man who visited the county and later tested positive for COVID-19 re under investigation, Undersheriff Ron Cameron said this afternoon at an afternoon COVID-19 briefing.
Cameron said county Health and Human Services are investigating. He said he did not have any more information on when the man visited the county or how old he is.
To date, 78 test specimens have been collected from Jefferson County residents with febrile respiratory illnesses for possible COVID-19 infection. Of those, 39 have been returned as negative for the virus and 37 tests are still pending.
Locke said that out-of-county cases of COVID-19 are likely to increase as many Jefferson County residents receive services in Snohomish, King, and Pierce — the counties most heavily impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
“In time, we expect to see positive cases in residents who have not had out-of-county exposures,” Locke said in the release.
“That information, along with reports of increasing flu-like illness, will be our first signs that community-level transmission of coronavirus is occurring. “
“Access to testing continues to be seriously limited, but it is improving and results are available in 48-72 hours,” Locke said.
In Jefferson County, those who think they’ve been exposed to the virus and have respiratory symptoms are asked to call Jefferson Healthcare’s dedicated COVID-19/Respiratory Illness Nurse Consult Line at 360-344-3094.
Information on coronavirus is available at www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org, www.clallam.net and www.doh.wa.gov.
A respiratory illness clinic has been set up in Jefferson County. Tp shceudle an appoitnment, or for other information, call the Jefferson Healthcare nurse consult line between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at 360-344-3094.
A Clallam County COVID-19 hotline is available at 360-417-2430.
For the latest updates on COVID-19 on the Peninsula, visit www.peninsuladailynews.com/tag/coronavirus.
