Pacific County’s has seen their first COVID-19 attributed death

The Pacific County Department of Health & Human Services reports that the first Pacific County resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died.

Pacific County’s Deputy Health Officer, Dr. Steven Krager stated “Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of this individual during this time of loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.” The lead public health nurse for this case, Lori Craig Ashley would also like to extend heartfelt condolences.

That resident, who was tested out of state and received medical treatment out of state, has not been within Pacific County during the pandemic but was attributed to the area due to their primary place of residence.

The Pacific County Department of Health & Human Services, Washington State Department of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that they continue to monitor the coronavirus issue (COVID-19) at this time and will continue to update our county with pertinent information as it becomes available.

At this time, we still encourage community members to continue to be cautious and vigilant about healthcare recommendations. As a reminder, there are steps people should take to reduce their risk of getting and spreading any viral respiratory infections. These include:

Social distancing, stay home and 6 ft away from others
Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.

If feel you have symptoms related to COVID-19, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, contact your healthcare provider and await further instructions for being seen.

Accurate and up-to-date sources of online information can be found at Pacific County Department of Health & Human Services at https://www.pacificcountycovid19.com/index.html; Washington Department of Health at https://coronavirus.wa.gov; and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.