The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

COVID rates are still high in local counties and the state as a whole, with the state reporting over 35,000 cases in the past 14 days.

In local counties, cases among those in the 20-40 age range far outnumber any other age group.

As of Dec. 15: Grant County had reported 6,035 total COVID-19 cases, 103 reported just Tuesday. The total includes 65 deaths, 11 of those in the past week. There have been 22 cases in the Grand Coulee Dam area and 29 in the Coulee City area, up six in the past week. The county has had 973 cases in the prior 14 days for an incidence rate of 1,054, up from 900 Dec. 8.

Douglas County has reported 2,390 total cases, including seven deaths; 382 new cases in the past 14 days; an incidence rate of 879.6, slightly up from 875 Dec 8.

The incidence goal is 25 or fewer cases per 100,000 population. All local counties are seeing rates in the multiple hundreds, as is the state as a whole.

Washington state as a whole has seen 205,069 total cases, including 2,953 deaths; 35,351 cases in the past 14 days; an incidence rate of 468.4, up from 435.9 Dec. 8.

As of Dec. 14: Okanogan County has reported 1,522 total cases. There have been 21 cases in Coulee Dam, two reported Dec. 11; eight in Elmer City, up three since Dec. 8; and 37 in Nespelem. The county has had 172 new cases in the past 14 days making for an incidence rate of 404, up from 194 Dec. 8.

Lincoln County has seen a total of 208 cases, including three deaths. There have been 35 cases reported in the past 14 days, making for a two-week incidence rate of 319, down from 465.3 Dec. 8.

Sources: Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Coronavirus Response, Grant County Health District, and Okanogan Public Health, Lincoln County Health Dept., Chelan-Douglas Health District.