Number of people testing positive in Okanogan County is slowing
Published 1:30 am Monday, September 14, 2020
OKANOGAN – While the number people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Okanogan County now stands at 1020, the infection rate has started to slow in the last 14 days, according to data from Okanogan County Public Health.
In the three-day period between Sept. 11 and Sept. 13, only two people showed positive tests, according to Public Health’s Monday, Sept. 14 update. The number of cases reported in the previous 14 days was 19. That brought the two-week incident rate to 44.5 per 100,000, less than third of the previous update where it was 131.1 per 100,000. Based on the county’s approximate population of 42,000, that’s a rate of 19.1 people infected per capita.
The latest two positive tests were in Omak, according to Public Health. Brewster, which has been the hot spot for the virus, continues to lead the county in the number of people who have been infected, as well as the number of deaths from the virus. The city’s number of people who have tested positive since testing began is 592 and six total fatalities. The next highest cumulative positive test total is in Omak, 160; followed by Tonasket, 54; Okanogan, 53; Pateros, 50; Oroville, 49; Malott, 22; Nespelem, 14; Riverside, eight; Winthrop and Coulee Dam, six each; unidentified, five; Carlton, four; Elmer City, three; Loomis, two and Twisp, one. In addition to the six deaths in Brewster, the towns of Omak, Oroville and Pateros have each had one death attributed to COVID-19.
The 0-39 age group has had the most people who have tested positive, with 488 and two deaths. The next highest age group is for people 40-59, who have returned 307 positive test results and have a total of one death in that age range. Next is ages 0-19, with 173 testing positive, but no fatalities. Ages 60-79 have returned 123 positive tests and the highest number of deaths at five. Only eight people in the 80+ group have tested positive, up two from last week, with one death attributed to the virus.
Okanogan County males appear to remain more susceptible to COVID-19 with a cumulative case count of 553, while females tested positive 431 times. The overall case count includes 45 listed as gender unknown.
About Gary DeVon
Gary DeVon is the managing editor of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune and celebrated his 25th year at the newspaper in August 2012. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Communications - Print Journalism, with an emphasis in photojournalism. He is a proud alumnus of Oroville High School. His family first settled in Okanogan County in the late 1800s. His parents are Judy DeVon and the late Larry DeVon and he has two younger brothers - Dante and Michael. Many family members still call Oroville home. He has a grown daughter, Segornae Douglas and a young granddaughter, Erin.
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