New case of COVID 19 identified, planning for Phase 2 variance still underway
Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department
A new case of COVID 19 was reported to Grays Harbor Public Health today. Case investigation has begun and investigators anticipate having contact tracing completed soon.
Grays Harbor County remains in phase 1 of the Governor’s Safe Start plan for re-opening the State, while Grays Harbor County Public Health’s COVID-19 Incident Management Team continues to put plans in place for moving forward.
“Like everyone else, we are eager to see our County’s businesses get back to work,” said Leonard Johnson, Incident Commander. “We understand the impacts this is having on our community. The health of our economy affects the health of our people.”
The Incident Management Team is receiving assistance from the Washington State National Guard in developing the continuity of operations plan. The plan is designed to help guide the COVID 19 response in the County into the future. “Our goal is to have a plan that will allow the County to apply for variance as soon as possible,” said Johnson.
“We are using the best guidance we have right now about what readiness and preparedness look like for COVID-19,” explained Johnson. “We are working to get our first responders, hospitals, and long-term care facilities the personal protective equipment that they need to continue to serve our community. We are working at getting more public health staff and volunteers trained to do contact investigations. And we continue to work with the hospitals to make sure people can get tested quickly.”
With the identification of a new case, Public Health officials are working closely with the State to identify any impacts this may have on the ability to apply for a variance. A request to clarify the impact has been sent to the Department of Health.
Case updates
Grays Harbor County has 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
March 2020: 2 cases
April 2020: 10 cases
May 2020: 1 case
Grays Harbor County Public Health will continue to operate a COVID-19 call center that will assist people with testing referrals. Assistance is available in both English and Spanish. Call (360) 964-1850. Please note that the call center’s hours of operation will once again be Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4pm.
Everyone should stay home and stay healthy. If you have to leave your home for essential activities, wear a cloth face covering.
Grays Harbor Public Health Incident Management Team and Grays Harbor Emergency Operations Center provide the most accurate, timely information possible. For any questions about COVID-19 and our response call (360) 964-1850, email covid19@co.graysharbor.wa.gov, or visit our website at http://www.healthyGH.org. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/healthyghc.