RITZVILLE — Adams County Health Department administrators have reported another death related to COVID-19, raising to 39 the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Adams County since the pandemic began in 2020.

“A male, age 83, died of cardiac arrest and pneumonia secondary to the COVID-19 virus,” according to an ACHD press release.

“According to the available records, of the 15 most recent COVID-19 deaths in Adams County none were fully vaccinated against this disease,” the release said.

The last reported coronavirus-related death reported in Grant County was announced Aug. 18 in a weekly update from the Grant County Health District. The patient was a woman in her 80s who had an underlying health condition, according to the health district release.

The most recent information for Grant County was released Aug. 25, with an update due later today.

The Grant County woman died in July, but the recording of coronavirus-related deaths is sometimes delayed due the need for confirmation, according to both health agencies. As of Aug. 25, 265 people in Grant County had died of the disease.

The disease is still circulating in the Columbia Basin. The most recent case count in Adams County showed an infection rate of the equivalent of 244.5 cases per 100,000 people measured over the previous seven days, the ACHD press release said. That was an increase from the last update Aug. 25, when the case rate was the equivalent of 117.4 cases per 100,000 people over seven days.

As of Aug. 25, the case count for Grant County was the equivalent of 155 cases per 100,000 people measured over the seven-day period. Grant County’s case rate was trending down for the two weeks ending Aug. 25. On Aug. 14 the case rate was the equivalent of 357 cases per 100,000 people measured over the previous seven days.

As of Aug. 25, Adams County had recorded 5,353 cases in the county since the start of the pandemic. Of that, 4,717 cases had been reported in Othello and the surrounding area.

Grant County had 30,485 coronavirus cases, as of Aug. 25, since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Of those, 14,520 were in Moses Lake. The Quincy area had 4,859 reported cases and Ephrata had 3,563. The Mattawa area had 2,550.

Officials at ACHD urged people to remember the disease is still out there, and to plan accordingly.

“Vaccination and vaccination boosters against COVID remain the most effective method of preventing COVID complications, including ER visits, hospitalizations and deaths,” the press release said.

BASIN COVID-19 UPDATE

Adams County:

Confirmed COVID-19 deaths as of Sept. 7: 39

Positive cases as of Aug. 25: 5,353

New cases over previous 7 days: 24

Case rate as of Sept. 7: Equivalent of 244.5 cases per 100,000 people over previous 7 days

Grant County:

Confirmed COVID-19 deaths as of Aug. 25: 265

Positive cases as of Aug. 25: 30,485

New cases over previous 7 days: 223

Case rate as of Aug. 25: Equivalent of 155 cases per 100,000 people over previous 7 days