More than 1,300 people in Clallam County received COVID-19 vaccinations Saturday at clinics held in Forks, Port Angeles and Sequim, and Jefferson County will begin public vaccinations this week.
There were three new COVID-19 positives reported on the North Olympic Peninsula on Sunday, a considerable downturn from last weekend, when more than 40 positives were reported in Clallam County and tied to New Year’s Eve parties.
Jefferson County reported three new cases Sunday, giving the county 272 positives since the pandemic began last March and 23 active cases in isolation.
Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke said the county never got a New Year’s holiday surge in cases like Clallam County did. Recent positives have been caused by travel, out-of-county visitors and household contacts with others who have contracted the virus, he said.
Meanwhile, Clallam County reported no new cases Sunday.
County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said 1,330 people received their first vaccinations for COVID-19 at the three clinics held Saturday. The Port Angeles and Sequim clinics were for people older than 70, while the Forks clinic was for people older than 70 and caregivers of people older than 50.
The Sequim clinics, run by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, will return Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while the Port Angeles clinics will return Saturday and Jan. 24.
Reservations for the Port Angeles clinic be made at www.clallam.net. If people cannot get online, they can call at 360-417-2430.
Jefferson Healthcare will conduct its first drive-through vaccination clinic beginning Tuesday with reservations at jefferson healthcare.org. People without internet access can make a reservation by calling 360-344-9791. Those reservations are only for people 85 or older because vaccine supply is limited.
Tri-Area Pharmacy in Port Hadlock will offer vaccinations for people 85 and older beginning Thursday. Reservations can be made at www.covidbi.timetap.com.
Locke said he will meet with Jefferson Healthcare and Tri-Area Pharmacy representatives Monday to discuss vaccination plans later this week.
“We can’t afford to take holidays, there’s too much going on,” he said.
Clallam County has 864 confirmed cases since March and has an infection rate of 154 per 100,000 population during the past two weeks. It has 85 active cases in the county. One person is currently in the hospital with COVID-19.
Locke’s COVID-19 update for the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners will be at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday instead of Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The update can be viewed online at www.tinyurl.com/jeffcomeetings.
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Sports editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached by email at plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
