Okanogan Commissioners issue coronavirus proclamation

OKANOGAN – The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) issued a one-page coronavirus proclamation following a special meeting held last Wednesday, August 5, to finalize the wording and sign the document that was issued to the public on Thursday, August 6.

The proclamation contains the board’s resolve to address with a unified voice “a significant surge in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks” and the commissioners’ concern that “the economy and the health and well being of the people of Okanogan County are severely compromised by our lack of urgency in controlling the virus…,” the proclamation said.

The proclamation goes on to state that action by Okanogan County residents at the “grass root” level will be the most effective tool to bring the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases under control and toward that end the BOCC’s collective leadership plays an essential role in compelling the public to act.

After thanking health care, county, business, and public participation for the efforts and sacrifices made to date, the board issued “a desperate appeal to the Okanogan County community at large to implement the cautionary measures suggested by Okanogan County Health officials,” the proclamation continued.

The commissioners pledged to set an example to the public to follow those health advisories and added that the proclamation will remain in effect “until a photograph of all three commissioners together with their smiling faces, without masks, is released to the press,” the proclamation concluded.

Each commissioner appended a personal statement to the proclamation below his signature before the completed document was posted to the county website, okanogancounty.org and on the Okanogan County Public Health Facebook page.

Jones appeals

The BOCC met in special session the day following its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 4. During that earlier session Okanogan County Community Health Director Lauri Jones appealed to the commissioners to draft a strong statement voicing a unanimous support of health department recommendations to county residents regarding use of cautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID. Jones also urged the county sheriff to support COVID guidelines.

“If I could get you guys and the sheriff to make that stand, people will listen,” said Jones.

Jones described the recent surge of positive COVID-19 cases and ER rates as “ridiculous” and overburdening health care facilities like Central Washington Hospital to the point where patients are being diverted to other hospitals.

During her presentation Jones advised the commissioners of three additional COVID deaths that occurred in the county during the previous weekend. She also said a large group of people participated in a two-day campout on private property north of the town of Methow on July 24-25, where more than 100 participants may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Campers sought

Okanogan County Emergency Management (OCEM) issued a news release on its Alert System (see sidebar) asking that anyone who attended the event to contact Okanogan County Public Health.

As of Friday, August 7, 838 positive cases have been reported on the OCPH website okanogancountycovid19.org/covid-19-data/. That is an increase of 283 cases during the past two weeks and 12 from the previous day. The OCPH has reported eight deaths to date, six of those in in Brewster where the cumulative coronavirus count is now at 503.

Across the river in Bridgeport the COVID case count per Chelan-Douglas Health District is 164 with another four in Mansfield.