We are six months — 180 days — into the COVID-19 pandemic in Snohomish County. In that time, 182 people here have died from the coronavirus — on average, one death for each day of the pandemic.

During the weekly Snohomish County health briefing Tuesday, County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters says about that six-month marker: “The loved ones of those we’ve lost and others who have suffered are perpetually on our minds”.

He cited another disturbing marker: the continuing spike in new cases. Spitters says the county hit a high of 81 new cases per 100,000 residents in the latest two-week totals.  That, he says, is four times higher than our lowest case average just six weeks ago “when we were at our best.”

More than half of those 547 new cases between June 20 and July 11  have been diagnosed in people younger than 30. The highest percentage, nearly a third, happened in those between 20-29 years old.

Spitters attributes the case increase in younger people to their return to work, and especially to a surge in parties. On July 4th alone, the Health District learned of at least 30 gatherings, a few as large as 40 people. He says those parties sparked 82 new cases.

Coronavirus testing in the county has hit a snag. Results are now running a 7-10 day delay from the time a person is tested.  Part of that, says Spitters, is because a share of county testing goes to big national labs, which have been jammed the past few weeks.

The lag in test results also means the county’s contract tracing is affected, which can delay isolating those who are sick. The goal, Spitters says, is to get quick test results and have follow up tracing within a three- to four-day window.  The week-long delay in results means people may have spread the virus to even more people by the time county health workers can catch up to them.

Asked why police and health officials can’t just break up some large gatherings, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers says many are held at private homes and “we really don’t have the ability to respond to those and break them up.”

If they know in advance about a big event, Somers and Spitters agree police and health investigators can stop by and attempt to get people to cancel the party. But, they also admit most enforcement will be “self-enforcement” — people keeping their communities safe.

The county may be a week away from conducting a survey to try to find out how many people are really wearing masks and social distancing. “It’s in the works,” says Spitters.

When asked if the county may re-impose some of the earlier restrictions to stop the virus spread, Somers would only say that the governor has met with county and city leaders; there was no word about any action.

The county has not seen an increase in hospitalizations or increases in the death rate — at least not yet. But Spitters warns that if people don’t work to cut down the infection rate, officials may. State Health Department research shows coronavirus hospital rates increasing in the northwest corner and the eastern half of the state.

The county admits the big job now is to figure out how to get the word to younger people; to target them with the message “wear masks, social distance” and drive it home to them.

Without that, the infection rates rise, and schools and the economy are in jeopardy. “We have a moral issue,” Spitters says. “We owe it to our community and neighbors to really do this voluntarily.”

— By Bob Throndsen