The B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been detected in two Clark County cases.

The two Clark County residents recently tested for COVID-19 were found infected with the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Specimens from the two cases were sent to Northwest Genomics Center, a lab at the University of Washington. The lab confirmed the variant by whole viral genome sequencing and notified Clark County Public Health of the results this week.

These are the first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant identified in Clark County.

“This variant can… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health is opening a call center to help respond to public questions around COVID-19 and local vaccination efforts.

Call center representatives can provide callers with resources for determining COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and options for scheduling vaccine appointments. Representatives can also help people fill out the COVID-19 vaccine request form on the Clark County Public Health website. This form is used to refer people who live or work in Clark County to a local facility with COVID-19 vaccine.

Public Health call center… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – More than 930 residents and staff at adult family homes and other long-term care facilities were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Thursday and Friday, as volunteer teams fanned out across Clark and Cowlitz counties.

About 50 volunteers from Medical Reserve Corps and Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue administered the vaccines. Over two days, teams of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers traveled to about 130 adult family homes and Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue personnel vaccinated residents and staff at two assisted living facilities and three senior independent living facilities… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – People who visited a Camas salon recently may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should quarantine at home.

Anyone who visited Stellar Hair Design in Camas between 10 am and 7 pm Jan. 19-23 or Jan. 26 may be at risk of contracting COVID-19. Skamania County Community Health and Clark County Public Health have been unable to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed. It’s unclear how many people may have been exposed.

Individuals who visited the salon during those times should quarantine for 14 days from their most recent visit to the salon… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties will co-host a virtual community briefing about COVID-19 vaccination efforts taking place across the three counties.

Dr. Steven Krager, deputy health officer for Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties, will be joined by Lauren Jenks, assistant secretary for Environmental Public Health from the Washington State Department of Health. They will address some of the more frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination, including how vaccine is distributed in the state and where eligible people can go to schedule vaccination… Read More

Earlier this month, Clark County Public Health began accepting requests from people eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Phase 1a and needing help accessing vaccine. On Tuesday, Public Health began accepting requests from people eligible in Phase 1b Tier 1.

Public Health continues to support the requests through local health care facilities, including PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Vancouver Clinic, and Sea Mar Community Health Centers. More than 18,000 people have submitted requests using the Public Health webform.

Local health… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health, Cowlitz County Health & Human Services, Skamania County Community Health and Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 continue to develop plans for opening community vaccination sites throughout the three-county region.

The Type 1 incident management team arrived in Clark County Tuesday afternoon, bringing federal, state and local representatives experienced in managing complex incidents to Southwest Washington. The counties and the team are pursuing plans for multiple mobile and fixed-location community vaccination sites.… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health has been working closely with partners in Cowlitz and Skamania counties to plan for community vaccination sites across the Southwest Washington region. Two weeks ago, the three-county region, with support from the state, submitted a request for a Type 1 incident management team to help plan and manage the operation of community vaccination sites.

This weekend, FEMA approved the request to deploy one of 16 national Type 1 incident management teams to Southwest Washington. Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 is made up of federal… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health is now accepting requests for COVID-19 vaccination for those who are eligible in Phase 1b Tier 1 of the state’s vaccination plan. All requests for vaccine must be made through a webform on the Public Health website.

People who are eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 1a or Phase 1b Tier 1 (B1) and need help accessing COVID-19 vaccine can submit a request form on the Public Health website. Public Health is connecting eligible people to local health care facilities with COVID-… Read More

Gov. Jay Inslee announced today the state is moving into Phase 1b of the COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Clark and Cowlitz counties will continue to prioritize those who are eligible in Phase 1a for COVID-19 vaccination. Health officials expect both counties will be ready to move to Phase 1b later this week.

In Phase 1a, people who work in health care settings, high-risk first responders, and people who live or work in long-term care facilities are eligible to be vaccinated. County health departments are connecting eligible people to health care facilities… Read More