Yakima County continues to receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines. To date, 58,616 individuals have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 34,356 individuals have received their second dose. In Yakima County, most individuals are already eligible and should make their appointment for their vaccine as soon as possible.
In Yakima County, there have been concerning trends of COVID-19 cases. Overall, Washington State has seen an increase in COVID-19 variants. This is significant because these variants are more infectious and can spread more easily. This week, 20 out of 39 counties in Washington State, including Yakima County, had people test positive with the variants. Apart from an increase in COVID-19 cases locally, Yakima County has also seen an increase in hospitalizations.
Community members are encouraged to continue following public health recommendations to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the variants. The detection of these variants, and the increase in disease activity is a reminder that the pandemic is not over. The community must continue to follow public health recommendations and make every effort to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“To remain safe and open, it is crucial to follow public health recommendations. We want COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to decrease in Yakima County. We encourage individuals who are eligible now, to get vaccinated. On April 15th, anyone 16 and older will become eligible to receive the vaccine,” said Larry Jecha, Interim Health Officer, Yakima Health District.
“Through our local case investigation team, we are seeing that many of our local COVID-19 cases are coming from social gatherings. As we gather with individuals outside our households, we must continue to practice public health recommendations. We encourage individuals to reduce your risk of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated, have small gatherings, and gather outdoors as much as possible. Please stay home if you are sick,” said Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control, Yakima Health District