Coronavirus: 59 cases in Grant County, Warden reports its first

GRANT COUNTY - There are 59 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Grant County as of Sunday evening, with the first confirmed case in Warden, four new cases in Quincy, and one new case each in Moses Lake, Mattawa, Royal City and Ephrata, according to the Grant County Health District.

Of those 59 cases, six are currently hospitalized, including two that have been hospitalized within the last few days, according to the health district. Others sickened by the virus are under house quarantine until at least 72 hours have passed since their fevers have passed and seven days have passed since symptoms were first reported, according to state Department of Health guidelines.

There are also 32 “probable” cases, which includes people with symptoms of the virus who have had close contact with a person known to have been sickened with COVID-19.

Quincy has been the epicenter of the outbreak in the county, with 32 confirmed cases total, just over half of the county’s total. Confirmed cases have surged there since the first case was reported in early March, with a number of cases stemming from Quincy High School, whose students and staff have all been placed under house quarantine.

Mattawa and Moses Lake now each have nine confirmed cases, while Ephrata is reporting five confirmed cases. Royal City reported its second confirmed case Sunday.

With Warden’s confirmed case, the only tracked communities without a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus are Coulee City and Grand Coulee.

In addition to tests that have come back positive, 387 have come back negative. There are an estimated 192 tests that are still pending results, according to the health district. However, hospitals have previously reported that this estimate is an undercount.

As of Sunday, 59 percent of those who have tested positive in Grant County are women, and 76 percent are 60 years old or younger. Four people age 18 or younger have also tested positive, at least two of which were students from Quincy High School, according to school officials. Health district officials did not immediately respond to further questions.

The Grant County Health District will be working to identify and call close contacts of those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a statement on their website.

“We have contacted over a thousand people during our investigations so far,” the health district wrote in its daily update Sunday. “This includes people who were either identified as close contacts to confirmed cases, people who were tested for COVID-19 and those who tested positive.”

‘Many of our cases have been linked to others, but many of them have not been linked, which means we don’t know how or where they were infected,” the health district added. “This is why we are asking people to please do whatever you would do if you knew someone with COVID-19 was in the public places you are, because it is out there.”