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Case Counts, Hospitalizations Still High, But Spokane Health Officer Sees Glimmers Of Hope

Screenshot from Spokane Regional Health District

 

Spokane County experienced one of its lowest daily coronavirus counts in weeks on Wednesday, 131 cases. That puts the county at an even 22,000 positive tests for the pandemic.

Interim Health Officer Frank Velazquez says it’s one small positive sign in a Covid horizon that’s beginning to look a bit brighter.

Wednesday’s daily Covid case count was released a few hours after Dr. Frank Velazquez told reporters that the Thanksgiving coronavirus surge isn’t as bad as feared.

“A lot of people, I can’t say most, but a lot of people have really taken the precautions that were recommended for the Thanksgiving holiday and that is just anecdotal," he said.

He says there are signs that still trouble him. The daily counts remain consistently higher than they were earlier in the pandemic, as are the hospitalization numbers. The number of people receiving care was down slightly on Wednesday to 128, 113 from Spokane County. Velazquez noted those figures have been bouncing up and down from day to day. Two more deaths were reported, bringing the pandemic total to 314.

Velazquez says he’s optimistic about 2021, not just because 2020 has been so dreadful, but because the fight against the pandemic has three things going for it.

“Number one, the public health guidance, which we will continue for however long we need to continue," he said. "Number two, we have not only vaccines on the horizon, but vaccines here and coming more. And number three, we are looking at expanded testing platforms and testing modalities, which will give us a little more testing that would allow many more to make real time decisions.”

Velazquez hopes that the governor’s decision to extend the latest round of restrictions past the New Year will help to blunt any holiday season Covid surges.