An NPR member station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ferry County Moves Back To Phase 2 Because Of Outbreak

Courtesy of Ferry County Memorial Hospital

Ferry County has become the fourth Washington county to move back to Phase 2 in the state’s coronavirus reopening protocol.

The Northeast Tri-County Health District on Friday announced that it has moved Ferry County back a step because of an outbreak, brought upon, at least in part, by two maskless parties at an Eagles’ Lodge in Republic in mid-April.The health district reports the county has had 106 positive Covid cases since April 12, including seven people who were transported out of the county to be hospitalized. One person infected with the virus has died. The health district reports the hospital in Republic has worked with the state to receive help in medical staffing and other logistics needed to care for the sick.

The voluntary action comes four days before the state is due to announce whether counties will be adjusted up or down in the county phase regime. Whitman, Pierce and Cowlitz counties are the other jurisdictions at Phase 2. State health officials say a dozen other counties, including Spokane and Stevens, are in danger of moving back to Phase 2 because they’re not meeting state metrics for numbers of cases and hospitalizations.

Northeast health officials say they’re monitor the situation in Ferry County over the next few weeks to see if its situation improves enough to move back to Phase 3.