SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County's Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz said it could take four to six weeks between when the mask mandate went into effect and when we would begin to see the results of that mandate begin to take effect.
Since that mandate went into effect, the amount of new reported cases increased from the week before for four weeks. Now, entering the fifth week since the mandate went into effect, Spokane County has seen the first decrease.
- Week of June 28: 368 reported new cases (55.9% increase from the week before)
- Week of July 5: 460 reported new cases ( 20% increase from the week before)
- Week of July 12: 626 new reported cases (36.1% increase from the week before)
- Week of July 19: 601 new reported cases (3.9% decrease from the week before)
However, hospitalizations are on the increase. There were 89 new hospitalizations reported in the month of July alone, with nine of those people between the ages of 10 and 39. As of Wednesday, 63 of those patients are still in the hospital.
The health district also reported five new deaths this month, bringing Spokane County's total to 52 people who have died from the coronavirus.
Amid rising coronavirus cases in Washington, elected officials are urging the public to follow state and local guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
"We're losing the momentum we had during the early months of this response," said Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman. "Looking ahead to the fall and hopes of schools reopening, we must dig back in to regain control."