'Another Upswing': Coronavirus Cases Rising Again In King County

SEATTLE — The coronavirus situation in King County has worsened since the holidays, renewing public health concerns and fears that a more infectious strain could soon inflame an already troubling trajectory.

"Our COVID-19 rollercoaster ride continues with ups and downs, but we continue to see high levels of COVID-19 transmission and high levels of risk in our community," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County. "This increased number of COVID-19 cases reflects activities people engaged in during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, including travel, family and social gatherings, and the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in workplaces and other locations across the region."

After a steady rise in cases beginning in September, case counts peaked in early December, with an average of 770 illnesses reported each day, then began to taper off. According to county data, activity picked back up over the winter holidays, increasing 30 percent between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2.

Over the last week, Duchin said, average daily case counts have climbed to 570 and remain highest in south King County, especially the cities of Auburn, Kent and Federal Way.

"At this time, we can't predict how high the current increasing trend will go or when it will level off," Duchin said. "This is especially worrisome to me, given the threat of a more contagious variant strain of COVID-19 that's already been found in many U.S. states and will inevitably be found here at any time now."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday warned that a more transmissible strain of the virus could become dominant in the United States by March, potentially fueling new surges in infection and threatening hospital capacity before vaccines are widely available.

In King County, public health leaders share that concern.

"Adding strains that spread more readily to our outbreak will be like throwing gasoline on a COVID-19 wildfire," Duchin said. "Unless we take strong actions to stop it, more transmissible strains will lead to rapid, potentially explosive increases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. This will compound the impact and suffering from COVID-19 across our community and, potentially, overwhelm our hospitals."

To prevent an unsustainable spike, Duchin said each person must recommit to basic prevention measures, including proper mask use, limiting social gatherings outside the household and avoiding crowded indoor spaces.

"Vaccines are an important part of our defense, once enough of us are vaccinated, but they cannot be our only defense," Duchin said. "Vaccines are a light at the end of the tunnel. We're still in the tunnel, and it's gotten a bit longer."

On the vaccine front, Duchin said approximately 60 percent of King County's eligible health care personnel have received immunization doses to date. While the state's most populous county has received about a quarter of Washington's vaccine shipments, Duchin said much more will be needed to ensure supply as eligibility expands.

"The pace of vaccine delivery to the states has not kept up with what was advertised, what was promised, by Operation Warp Speed," Duchin said. "We have very little insight into the supply issues at the federal level, but we are ready and willing and very eager to receive whatever doses are available as soon as they come to us."

On Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee joined a growing list of state leaders calling for action after reports that a federal reserve of vaccines had already been depleted.

In a speech, President-elect Joe Biden pledged to boost vaccine production and expand access to a broader group of those most at-risk. CNBC reported Biden plans to use the Defense Production Act to boost production of the vaccine after assuming office.