COVID-19 cases in Valley remain near county average

By Record Staff • September 28, 2021 3:28 pm
File Photo Contributed by Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Cars lined up at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital on March 26 as people awaited their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as part of the hospital’s first mass vaccination event.
File Photo Contributed by Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Cars lined up at Snoqualmie Valley Hospital on March 26 as people awaited their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as part of the hospital’s first mass vaccination event.

COVID-19 cases have varied across the Snoqualmie Valley over the last two weeks as case rates begin to level off in the county and state.

Between Sept. 9 and Sept. 23, Snoqualmie had the most cases among Valley cities at 53 cases, an increase of three cases from the period between Aug. 25 and Sept. 8, according to the King County COVID-19 dashboard.

North Bend saw the biggest decrease, dropping from 95 cases in the previous period to 49 cases this period. Fall City dropped from 21 cases to 15 cases.

The 14-day case rates for all three cities remain below state and near the county average, as of Sept. 24. Snoqualmie reported a case rate of 339 per 100,000 residents. North Bend reported a case rate of 317 and Fall City had a rate of 266 per 100,000 residents.

As of Sept. 22, the most recent available data from the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, King County had a case rate of 338 over the last 14 days and the state had a rate of 580 per 100,000 residents.

Deaths and hospitalizations continued to remain low across the Valley in the last two weeks, with the three cities combining for two hospitalizations and no deaths. In the previous two weeks, each city had one hospitalization and Snoqualmie had one death.

Vaccination rates among Valley cities have stagnated over the month of September, according to county data. Snoqualmie had a vaccination rate of 83.7% as of Sept. 24, an increase of about 1% since Sept. 8. North Bend and Fall City, which had vaccination rates of 74.5% and 69.7%, respectively, as of Sept. 24, have seen no change since Sept. 8.

Vaccination rates also continue to remain low among teenagers in North Bend and Fall City. Those between the ages of 12-19 had a vaccination rate of 54.3% in North Bend and 56.8% in Fall City. Vaccination rates are a few percentage points lower in both cities for those in the 12 to 17 age group.

Despite this, the Snoqualmie Valley School District has yet to report a confirmed case that happened during school. According to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, as of Sept. 24, the district has had 13 cases in the last 14 days and 33 cases since school began.

Twin Falls had the most cases over the last 14 days with four. Mount Si followed behind with three. Cascade View and Snoqualmie Middle School each had two. The district’s case rate of 161 per 100,000 among both staff and students is almost half that of the city’s rate.

Over the last 14 days, as of Sept. 24, King County has reported 5,503 confirmed cases, 220 hospitalizations, and 25 deaths. Statewide 34.6% of ICU beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.