One new case of COVID-19 in Columbia County

DAYTON—Only one COVID-19 vaccine clinic was scheduled this week. That clinic took place at the county fairgrounds on Tuesday, when 91-second doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered.

Sixty-five, second doses of the Moderna vaccine have been scheduled for May 4, and 57-second doses are planned for May 11, according to Stephanie Carpenter, Columbia County Health System CCHS CFO, who is in charge of organizing the vaccination clinics.

She said the fairgrounds Pavilion would no longer be leased from the county for use as a vaccination clinic after May 11. The hospital pharmacy manager is looking for an alternate location.

Martha Lanman, Administrator of the Columbia County Public Health Department, spoke about dwindling requests for the vaccine when she met with the county’s Board of Health supervisors on Monday.

She hoped that 70-75-percent of all people in the county would receive the vaccine, but only about 30-percent of the total population in Columbia County has been fully vaccinated. This includes 65-percent of all senior citizens.

There are currently fewer than 50 people on the waiting list, she said. Staff members have been reaching out to people on the list, but fewer people are responding.

Lanman said one individual tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, April 16. There were multiple direct contacts with that person. Lanman said her staff spent much of the weekend conducting interviews and performing contact tracing.

She issued a warning that the number of positive cases was trending upwards in other Washington State counties.

“We don’t want to go back to Phase 2,” she said.

It would take 30 or more active cases, with three simultaneous hospitalizations, for that to happen, she said.

Her office is setting up an online option to schedule appointments to receive the vaccination.