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There have been 12 additional COVID-19 deaths announced in Grant County since The Star’s last update on Feb. 16, and 121 new cases in local towns, despite a dropping incidence rate. 

Grant County Health District announced 392 new cases and 10 deaths on Feb. 17, and 233 new cases and two deaths on Feb. 24, with their weekly announcements coming on Thursdays.

Coulee Medical Center CEO Ramona Hicks told hospital district commissioners Monday night that Covid positivity numbers at CMC had “dramatically dropped.” But she cautioned it’s hard to evaluate that information without knowing results from people testing at home who might not call it in.

The 12 Grant County deaths occurred in January and February and include eight men and four women, four fully vaccinated, four unvaccinated, and four unknown, with 10 having underlying health conditions, the health district said. 

Ranging in age from their 30s to their 90s, they were residents of Moses Lake, Ephrata, Soap Lake, and Royal City. 

The Grand Coulee and Electric City area of Grant County shows a total of 285 cases, up by 15 since Feb. 16.

GCHD also shows a declining two-week incidence rate, with it being at 389 cases per 100,000 people on Feb. 25, contrasting with a rate of 1,458 just two weeks prior on Feb. 11.

Okanogan County Public Health shows an incidence rate of 909 as of their last update on Feb. 22, with 392 cases reported in the past two weeks.

Coulee Dam shows an even 200 cases total since the pandemic began, up by 29 in the past two weeks; Elmer City is up by 13 for a total of 74; and Nespelem is up by a significant 64 new cases for a total of 245.