Spokane County saw 26 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Independence Day, after the Spokane Regional Health District reported 59 new cases on Friday.
The total number of confirmed cases in the county has more than doubled since June 4, when the county had registered 651 cases of COVID-19. As of July 4, the county total has risen to 1,570.
As of Friday, 18 county residents were hospitalized for the virus. No new hospitalizations were reported Saturday. The county has seen 132 total hospitalizations since the epidemic began.
People ages 20 to 29 made up the highest percentage of those who tested positive as of Thursday, followed by people ages 30 to 39. Overall, people ages 20-49 accounted for more than 60% of confirmed cases, while people ages 60-99 accounted for about 12% of cases.
White people accounted for about 42% of confirmed cases as of Thursday, while Pacific Islanders accounted for 33%, which is approximately 82 times the population rate of the county’s Pacific Islands of .04%.
The Marshalleese people account for the majority of those cases on the Pacific Islands. After World War II, the United States ordered the use of several islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands for nuclear testing, and over a 12-year period, the United States government conducted 67 nuclear tests there. The radioactive consequences and radiation left behind made certain islands uninhabitable, and the health effects and other devastating consequences are still affecting the people of Marshallese.
To prevent further spread of the virus, Spokane skipped a traditional Independence Day fireworks show this year. Instead, organizers planned shows in four locations, where empty parking lots allowed the drive-in view.
Self-service shows followed the same guidelines established for theaters in Phase 2. Cars were not allowed in the parking lots until 9 pm to discourage pre-show meetings. There were designated parking spots with at least 10 feet of space between vehicles.
