Newsroom

COVID-19 Testing at the Thurston County Fairgrounds

Record number of COVID-19 deaths in Thurston County in last 24 hours

Thurston County Health Officer Issues Masking Directive

PHSS Temporarily Relocates Vaccine Clinics from South Puget Sound Community College to Thurston County Fairgrounds

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services has More than 800 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Set to Expire

First SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern Detected in Thurston County

Thurston County to Host Drive Through COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics at South Puget Sound Community College

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Thurston County Will Host a Drive Through Mass Vaccination Event at the Thurston County Fairgrounds Friday Mar. 5

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

COVID-19 Second Dose Vaccination Clinic on Sat. Mar. 6 Not Open for General Public

Thursday, February 4, 2021

COVID-19 Feb. 6 Vaccination Clinic at Regional Athletic Complex Not a Mass Vaccination Site

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Holiday COVID-19 Testing Information

Friday, December 18, 2020

New School Metrics and Recommendations for Thurston County Schools

Friday, December 11, 2020

Face Covering Campaign Developed for Businesses

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Public Health Confirms COVID-19 Outbreak at County Correction Center

Thurston County Health Officer Recommends Distance Learing for All Thurston County Schools in Fall

Thurston County Distributing More Than 128,000 Cloth Masks for Low-Income Individuals and Families

Thurston County Submits Phase 3 Application to State Department of Health

Public Health Confirms Second COVID Related Death in Thurston County

Public Health Confirms Two Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Outbreaks

Thurston County Receives Approval to Move to Phase 2

Thurston County Health Officer issues Face Covering Directive

Thurston County Commissioners and Mayors Hold Press Conference on COVID-19 Recovery

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Board Cancels 2020 Thurston County Fair in Response to COVID-19

COVID-19 Response: Thurston County Parks Reopen Wednesday, May 6

COVID-19 Response: Commissioners Extend Local Emergeny Resolution

Thurston County Emergency Management is Collecting PPE for COVID-19 Response

Public Health Confirms First COVID-19 Related Death in Thurston County

Friday, April 3, 2020

Masking Guidance-What You Should Know

Coronavirus Response: Waste Facilities Reopening to Self-Haul Customers for the Weekend

Public Health Confirms Ten New Cases of COVID-19 in Thurston County

Coronavirus Response: Waste Facilities Closing to Self-Haul Customers

County Institutes Essential Services in Response to Governors Proclamation

County Receives Grant Supporting COVID-19 Homelessness Response

County Facilities to Close to Public Beginning March 19

County Commissioners Take Measures to Respond to Social Distancing

Public Health Confirms Two New Cases of COVID-19 in Thurston County

Board of County Commissioners Declare COVID-19 a Local Emergency

Public Health Confirms Case of COVID-19 in Thurston County

COVID-19 Update for Thurston County

Thurston County Location Identified for COVID-19 Potential Quarantine and Isolation, Should Need Arise

Thurston County is experiencing the highest daily COVID-19 case counts we have ever seen since the beginning of the pandemic. This rapid surge in cases is due presumably to the highly infectious omicron variant. 

There is still much we do not know about the omicron variant, including how sick it can make people. Initial scientific studies show that the best protection from the omicron variant comes from having an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) booster dose. Everyone age 5 and older is eligible for a vaccine, and everyone 16 and older is eligible for a booster dose at this time. 

With the omicron variant we are seeing higher rates of breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals, but that does not mean that COVID-19 vaccines are not working. Vaccines still remain incredibly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and deaths due to COVID-19, which is why we continue to urge members of our community to get vaccinated and receive a booster dose if they are eligible. 

Now more than ever it is important for people to use COVID-19 protective measures in order to slow community spread and keep our already stressed health care system from being overwhelmed. Please wear a well-fitting multi-layered mask in public settings, and practice physical distancing when around others not in your household, regardless of your vaccination status.

If you can, avoid travel and minimize gatherings with people outside of your household. Stay home if you are ill, and get tested if you are symptomatic or exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 regardless of your vaccination status.

In alignment with the latest Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services officials strongly encourage all people in Thurston County to wear a mask while indoors in public settings regardless of their vaccination status. 

Since the masking mandate in Washington State was updated for fully vaccinated individuals, the Thurston County Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek has publicly “recommend[ed] that all Thurston County residents continue to wear masks in public indoor spaces where vaccination status is not verified even if fully vaccinated”, as stated in her July 1 Letter to the Community. 

Thurston County currently is in an area with substantial COVID-19 transmission, with a 8.6% test positivity rate and a case rate of 124.7 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days. 49.1% of Thurston County’s population is fully vaccinated, which means more than half of residents are not fully protected. 

To maximize protection from circulating variants and slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community, please wear a mask, and if you are not yet vaccinated, please get vaccinated as soon as possible. You can find a COVID-19 vaccine in Thurston County by visiting https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) has used data from the Risk Assessment Dashboard from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to guide decision-making about schools. The Risk Assessment Dashboard is a statewide, standardized data platform which provides comprehensive COVID-19 data at the state and county level. 

The state developed this dashboard in order to provide consistent data metrics across all the counties in the state so when DOH guidance is issued, every county is using the same system for data measurements and guidance changes. For example, this dashboard provided the metrics for the Phases in the Roadmap to Recovery reopening guidance. The Health Officer reviews Thurston County data on the Risk Assessment Dashboard and reviews internal county specific metrics and data for decision-making purposes. 

The Health Officer’s letter to the Superintendents and Heads of Schools on May 26 outlined plateauing COVID-19 transmission rates in Thurston County, which did not indicate a clear, sustained increased trajectory of transmission over the previous 14 days. COVID-19 transmission rates have plateaued, and as of today, per the Risk Assessment Dashboard, cases per 100,000 people over 14 days is 186.9.   

On January 7, 2021, three Thurston County Sheriff’s Office employees who work at the Thurston County Correctional Facility tested positive for COVID-19. Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) initiated case investigation and contact tracing and deployed a testing strike team to the facility on January 11, 2021. Eight out of 203 inmate test results were positive for COVID-19. The facility has isolated the COVID-19 positive inmates and the close contacts of the inmates have been identified and are in quarantine. PHSS is monitoring the facility and working closely with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Correctional leaders to manage the outbreak and protect the health and safety of staff and inmates. PHSS will conduct a second round of testing at the facility on January 19, 2021. 

Today, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services adjusted the data on COVID-19 related deaths to be in alignment with Department of Health new practices for reporting deaths. 

As of today, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is changing the reporting timeframe for COVID-19 positive cases. Previously, PHSS reported the cases posted from noon the previous day to noon of the current day. PHSS will now report the previous day’s cases, 12:01am to midnight. For example, the cases added to the website today are cases confirmed for December 7, 2020.  PHSS will report daily COVID-19 positive cases from the previous calendar day going forward. PHSS also adjusted the data on COVID-19 related deaths based on updated information from patient death certificates.

On November 21, 2020, we reported a death of a male in his 90’s. We received the final death certificate and the death certificate showed the individual did not die due to complications with the COVID-19 virus but from other causes. This death has been removed from our COVID-19 death count. It is unfortunate to have a resident in our county die from any cause and our thoughts continue to be with the family of this individual. 

Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek stated, "On Sunday, November 8, 2020, we added two additional outbreaks, one in an adult family home and another in an assisted living facility, bringing our ongoing outbreaks total to 12. Upon further investigation over the last two days, I have determined there is not an outbreak in the assisted living facility. Our current outbreak totals are now 11 ongoing and 21 total to date."

Thurston County Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek stated, "Since Friday October 23, 2020, there have been an additional seven COVID-19 related deaths in our community. Six of these deaths are associated with known long-term care outbreaks in our community. Public Health is working with these facilities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who have passed away. COVID-19 is a serious illness and we must remain vigilant."

Thurston County Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek has been partnering with the management of Garden Courte Memory Care to support their efforts to contain the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 in their facility. She participated in a follow up walk through of the facility in conjunction with the State Department of Health to inspect the infection control processes and procedures and provide additional directions and guidance for areas of improvement.

“An outbreak in a long-term care facility is always difficult because the residents are often the most vulnerable population to the virus,” said Health Officer, Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek. “On Tuesday we deployed our strike team to the facility to conduct COVID-19 testing of all residents and employee. The facility will continue to have weekly testing until the outbreak is resolved.”

Today, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) reported 47 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest number of cases reported in a single day to date. Twenty-eight (28) of today's cases are associated with an outbreak in an assisted living facility, Garden Courte Memory Care in Olympia. PHSS first began investigating this outbreak earlier this month after a staff person tested positive and subsequently deployed testing strike teams to conduct further facility-wide testing. We have had 36 residents and 13 staff test positive for COVID-19 thus far including a female resident in her 90's who died earlier this week. Additional test results are expected back next week.

Director Schelli Slaughter stated, "Our hearts go out to the family who lost their loved one and to all the residents, staff, and family members that have been impacted by this outbreak. Transmission of COVID-19 is on the rise here in Thurston County and this record number of cases serves as an important reminder to everyone to take this virus seriously and do your part to protect others, especially our most vulnerable community members. We urge everyone to please stay home and do not go to work or other public places when feeling ill with even one symptom, get tested quickly, wash hands frequently, wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose completely, and stay at least six feet apart from everyone outside of your immediate household. Together we can slow the spread of COVID-19 here in Thurston County, save lives, and keep our community safe!" 

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services will follow the Washington State Department of Health and end publication of death counts from COVID-19 over the weekend. This will be in effect on August 28, 2020. We will report any deaths from the weekend as part of our Monday case count totals for COVID-19. 

Thurston County Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdlemalek  stated, "On August 26, 2020, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) reported an additional outbreak in a congregate care facility, bringing our current ongoing outbreaks to a total of eight. An outbreak in a long-term healthcare facility is defined as one or more residents or healthcare workers with confirmed COVID-19."

She continued, "After additional investigation by our Disease Control and Prevention staff, what we initially identified as a single case linked to a long-term care facility was not in fact linked because the individual was not present at the facility during their infectious period. PHSS has initiated testing of all residents and staff at the long-term care facility. The process for case investigation is fluid and evolves. We uncover more information as the cases unfold. To confirm, as of August 27, 2020, we have seven congregate care outbreaks."