The Northeast Tri-County Health District said the super spreader event in Republic that infected 95 people is affecting the whole community.
“We may be done with the virus, but it’s not done with us,” said Matt Schanz, Northeast Tri-County Health Director. With the statewide phase evaluation coming up on May 3rd, there is a chance that Ferry County could be moved back to Phase 2. But Dr. Sam Artzis, the Northeast Tri-County Health Officer, says they’ve already pushed themselves back: “Most businesses are shut down and limiting their hours, county buildings are closed, hospitals have been impacted, they seem to have moved back to phase two just because of the situation,” said Dr. Artzis. One of the biggest things impacted is hospitals, Dr. Artzis said they are at their peaks. He said they have had to send patients to other cities, including Spokane, because there just isn’t space locally. Ferry County is at a 24 percent vaccination rate, that’s basically one in four people.Dr. Artzis says he hopes it goes up, but because it’s been hard to get people vaccinated, they’re really thinking the pandemic in ferry county will depend on herd immunity, and they expect this to be challenging for the next six months.
