The anticipated fall and winter spike in COVID- 19 infections is already taking hold in Clark County.

Clark County’s clocking in with 115 infections for every 100 thousand people. That’s well ahead of King County and Seattle, with 93 cases per 100,000.

Clark County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick has warned for weeks: about another COVID 19 surge arriving in late fall and winter, especially stemming from close family and friends gathering. “If you know people well you’re more likely to be, less likely to mask and more likely to be physically close for longer periods of time,” he says.

By October 21st, the county had already set a monthly record for new cases of the disease.
Melnick offers advice. “Whether you’re going to a gym or whether you’re going anywhere else, physical distancing and masking are really essential and the less people you’re around the better.”

Now even before the coldest temperatures and darkest, rainiest days have fully arrived, Clark County is joining the rest of the U.S., well ahead of the predicted surge. So far there are 4,412 confirmed cases in Clark County, 107,000 in Washington state, and 8.7 million across the United States.

One hospital in northern Idaho is getting so crowded with COVID-19 patients, it may have to start airlifting patients to Portland, or Seattle.