Vaccination proof is required to enter restaurants and bars on the peninsula

Those entering restaurants and bars in Jefferson and Clallam counties must prove that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from Saturday. Health officials on the Northern Olympic Peninsula announced on Thursday that three new COVID-19 deaths were reported in both counties combined.

On Thursday, two residents of Jefferson County and one in Clallam County were confirmed dead from the new coronavirus. All were in underlying health and were not vaccinated.

This will increase the total death toll on the peninsula to 28.

Clallam County also added 105 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, increasing its total to 2,899 since the pandemic began.

Jefferson County confirmed 22 COVID-19s on Thursday, a total of 735 since the pandemic began.

The two who died of COVID-19 in Jefferson County include a man in his 60s who died on Saturday and a woman in his 50s who died on Tuesday.

Mr Berry said the death in Clallam County was a woman in her 80s.

“These are likely to shock the Jefferson County community,” Berry said of his recent death. “In Jefferson County, only four people have died so far … and two last week.

“There is an unfortunate tendency for us to blame their death when someone dies, especially when they are not vaccinated. This is someone’s family in our community and someone is sad. I think it’s important to remember that they lost someone they love on Friday, “she continued.

“Let’s all be kind and focus on fighting the virus, not each other,” Berry said.

Input from business

Vaccination certification requirements were determined after Berry and public health staff had discussed with representatives of the peninsula and several corporate chambers of commerce, Berry said.

They emphasized that vaccination requirements are less expensive than capacity limits and takeaways alone, and cause less damage to restaurants and bars.

“Indoor bars and restaurants are known to be at high risk of COVID-19 infection because they encourage large numbers of people to remove their masks indoors,” Berry said in a press release Thursday.

“Our goal is to create these safe places, reduce infections in the community, keep hospitals functioning and allow schools to open more safely.”

The Delta variant has the ability to spread beyond 6 feet when people are unmasked indoors, Berry said.

“We want to keep our business open while protecting the general public,” Berry said.

“This is our way. Bars and restaurants need to force it, but they weren’t the ones who wrote it.

“Be kind to the restaurant workers. They are just trying to do their job.”

Friday virtual briefing

Public health orders will be further discussed at a virtual briefing at 10 am on Friday.

Due to “high interest” in the Clallam County Emergency Management COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Ron Cameron of Berry and Undersheriff will conduct remotely without allowing direct attendance.

The meeting can be seen at www.clallam.net/features/meetings.html And you can send a question [email protected]

Some residents opposed the new order. Jody Wilk, a resident of Port Hadlock, is dissatisfied with the change from face-to-face to virtual meetings. This is because they feel that they are limiting their ability to participate in decision making.

Wilke urges residents to attend virtual meetings and ask questions, believing that the public should have had a say in the mitigation measures mandated by Berry.

“Our civil servants should take their work as civil servants seriously,” Wilke said. “Many people are hurt by this.”

Acceptable forms of vaccination certification include a completed CDC vaccination card, a state health certificate for COVID-19 vaccination, a printed copy of the state health vaccine record, and a photo of any of these documents. , Or app-based. Vaccine passport, release said.

Even unvaccinated people can be ordered to go or use the outdoor seating area, Berry said.

Upon order, all COVID-19 vaccines will be vaccinated and fully vaccinated 14 days after the last dose.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines should be given twice, at intervals of 4 and 3 weeks, respectively. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine must be given once.

Bar and restaurant employees who are continuously masked in the building do not need to provide proof of vaccination. In addition, children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination can enter without showing evidence, the order said.

Case rate soars

The number of cases in Clallam County over the past two weeks was 964 per 100,000 as of Thursday. Jefferson County calculated its case rate weekly and reported a rate of 247.65 per 100,000 on Monday two weeks before Saturday.

As of last month, 495 COVID-19 outbreaks were tracked across states at restaurants and bars in Washington, including some in Jefferson and Clallam counties, according to the State Department.

“Vaccination continues to be the most powerful tool needed to reduce COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and mortality,” the release said.

In Washington, according to state data, 94% of hospitalized people and 92% of those who died of COVID-19 were unvaccinated.

According to county data, since the beginning of February, 18.1% of new COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County have been fully vaccinated residents, which is 81.9% of unvaccinated residents. It means that it was there.

According to county data, since the beginning of February in Clallam County, 9.9% of new COVID-19 cases were fully vaccinated residents and 90.1% were unvaccinated residents.

“Hospitals in our area are reaching their limits, so we need to do everything we can to keep our communities safe,” Berry said.

“It’s just right to get this incredible vaccine that is safe, effective, free and life-saving.”

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Jefferson County Reporter Zack Jabronski can be reached by extension 360-385-2335. 5, or at [email protected]