Columbia County reports seven cases of COVID-19

DAYTON—The Columbia County Public Health Department has reported nine positive cases of COVID-19, stemming from the same household. None of the nine people are over 60 years of age, but one of them has been hospitalized. Of the nine cases, two live in Benton County, where they are being managed by the Benton Franklin Public Health Department, according to Martha Lanman, the County Public Health Director.

There was an increase of testing by Columbia County Public Health staff after a man visited one of the local health clinics on June 15 and tested positive for COVID-19. Currently fifty people have been tested after contact tracing identified possible exposure from that one incidence.

Lanman said she reported the outbreak to the state Department of Health Communicable Disease Investigator, on June 18.

“I feel like it’s a contained situation within the family,” Lanman told the Columbia County Board of Health on Monday.

She said public health nurses from her department are checking on the seven people in quarantine twice a day.

Lanman said people are asked to quarantine for 14 days from the last day of contact with a person who has tested positive.

“This is a state mandate,” she said.

Lanman said a positive test means a person is mandated to self-isolate until symptom free for 72 hours.

If a person in a household has tested positive for COVID-19, but is symptom free, that person must isolate until everyone in the household is symptom free for 72 hours.

Lanman said failure to isolate or quarantine per guidelines and Public Health direction, could result in possible fines.

People can call the County Health Department for a testing referral at: (509) 382-2181.