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https://www.q13fox.com/news/indoor-event...washington
REPUBLIC, Wash. - About 10% of the population of Republic, a small city in north-central Washington, has tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak traced to large indoor events last month at the local Fraternal Order of Eagles hall.
Ferry County Memorial Hospital officials have confirmed more than 100 cases, with one reported death, since the April 9-11 events, including a membership drive that featured dinner, live music and a 1980s-themed karaoke night. Some patients have had to be transferred to Wenatchee and Yakima because of a lack of capacity at the 25-bed hospital — the only hospital in a 50-mile radius — and other closer facilities.
"In Ferry County especially, we’re seeing really sick young people showing up in the emergency room to get care," Northeast Tri County Health Officer Dr. Sam Artzis said, according to The Spokesman-Review.
The county previously had relatively few COVID-19 cases, and many in the conservative, rural community saw mask mandates as infringing on their liberty. Less than one-quarter of the county’s residents have received a vaccine to date, according to the health district, but officials said the outbreak has increased interest in it.
The situation should serve as a warning to other communities about the danger of large indoor events with unvaccinated people, they said.
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Interesting town name for an outbreak.
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As I recall Ferry County is the poorest county in WA state and is in a fairly remote area of the state.
So sorry to hear this and I hope folks get the care they need.
Many parts of WA seem headed for another surge
Including areas with high vaccination rates.
Seattle Times had a "be ready to go back to lock down" warning for some areas the other day
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Ferry County voted 63.5% Republican in the 2020 election. Not too surprising it's one of the poorest counties in WA.
Like other states, I expect a lot of the recent spread is mutations that cause more symptoms and higher death rates in younger people. They are no longer nearly immune from danger like a year ago.
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I'm wondering when the variants that hit Michigan so hard might catch fire in other areas resulting in major surges.
With so many younger people getting sick in that Washington town, it sounds like it is variant-driven there, but it seems like the town is pretty isolated.
The question is will we have surges in wide-spread or even state-wide areas or are we getting enough people vaccinated to keep things under control?
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I live in Washington state and I've never heard of Republic. I had to look it up on the map. Wiki says the population is just over 1,000. Mask compliance really varies from town to town though. In central Washington state alot of people don't wear masks anymore. On a recent trip to Seattle/Bellevue EVERYONE wore masks even while walking outside.
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Filliam, that does put a certain spin on the town as a whole.
