Survey says: 98% grocery shoppers in Tri-Cities area using masks

Almost everyone is using a mask in grocery stores in the Tri-Cities area, according to the latest survey results released Friday.

The results were a bright spot ending seven days of grim news about COVID-19 deaths and new case counts far about what public health officials want to see.

The third survey of compliance with an order requiring people to wear masks in public places in Washington state found that 98% of people had face coverings as they left grocery stores in Benton and Franklin counties.

Survey results

In the latest mask survey, the Benton Franklin Health District said 3,704 people were observed at eight grocery stores in the two counties from July 11-16.

The previous survey July 4-9 at eight grocery stores found 95% of 4,025 shoppers had a mask when they left a store.

That was up from the initial survey June 20-25 that found 53% compliance at 15 grocery stores surveyed.

Local health officials hope an increase in mask wearing will soon make a difference in the rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks.

Case numbers are believed to have been boosted this week by contamination spread at large gatherings July 4 weekend and other gatherings around that time and earlier before the mask order.

Starting July 3 some limited business reopening was allowed in the Tri-Cities, but the Washington state Department of Health said it wanted to see more people wearing masks. The two counties agreed that the local health district would conduct weekly surveys.

Masks are required indoors in public places in the Tri-Cities and outdoors if people cannot maintain six feet distance from nonhousehold members.

There are exceptions, including for people who cannot wear masks for health reasons and for small children.

On July 7 the state began requiring businesses to refuse service to customers not wearing masks.

If people cannot wear masks for medical reasons, businesses must provide reasonable accommodations. That could include curbside or delivery service.

It remains too soon to determine the effects of increased compliance with orders to wear masks, said Dr. Amy Person, the health officer for Benton and Franklin counties.

While most local residents appeared to have adjusted to requirements to wear masks inside stores, public health officers continue to be concerned about reports of large group gatherings, despite the very limited reopening allowed in the Tri-Cities area.

Gatherings remain restricted to household members, with the exceptions of small behavioral health groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings of five or fewer people.

“We are continuing to see lots of sporting events and sports activities” plus there were large gatherings over the July 4 holiday weekend, Dr. Person said. “Those really are a danger to the participants and going to be a danger to people who come in contact with persons who have been there.”

COVID case counts

The local health district reported 121 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Benton and Franklin counties on Friday.

The majority were in Franklin County, which had 74 new confirmed cases. The remaining 47 were in Benton County.

There were no new deaths due to complications of COVID-19 reported on Friday.

In all, 15 people in the two counties were reported to have died since last Friday.

Benton County has had 96 people die of complications of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and Franklin County has had 33 deaths.

The Benton Franklin Health District requires a positive COVID-19 test and also a death certificate that shows a complication of the disease was a primary cause of death before adding a death to its count for the coronavirus pandemic.

Since last Friday, the health district has reported an average of 123 cases per day.

There have been a couple days in other recent weeks when new cases topped 200, but local public health officials have cautioned residents to watch trends and not to put too much stock in the high and low daily peaks.

The Washington state Department of Health has set a target for Benton and Franklin counties of no more than 74 cases total over two weeks as the counties work to show they can safely reopen more businesses and allow small gatherings.

Hospital cases

As more businesses were allowed limited reopening earlier this month, “we are seeing increases in numbers, although our hospital capacity still remains able to manage those, which is a good thing,” Dr. Person told the Columbia Basin Badger Club late in the week.

The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in the two counties remained at 82 on Friday for the second day in a row, according to the local health district.

That’s below the record of 89 patients a little over a month ago, but more than double the typical number of cases two months ago.

The patients being treated for COVID-19, either with positive tests or awaiting test results, account for 24% of patients in hospitals in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser.

The new cases announced Friday bring total confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic in Benton County to 2,725 and in Franklin County to 2,647. The total for both is 5,372.

The health district said that 440 more people had been tested for the coronavirus as of Friday, for a total of 15,721 people in Benton County and 9,542 people in Franklin County.

This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 4:36 PM.