Novel coronavirus

Questions about COVID-19?

Clark County Public Health call center: 888.225.4625 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 assistance hotline: 800.525.0127 6 am to 10 pm Monday, 6 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Sunday and state-observed holidays.

Language assistance is available for both lines.

Report violations

To report suspected business violations of Gov. Inslee’s proclamations and the state Department of Health Orders, submit a form on the state's COVID-19 violation webpage. Complaints are routed to the appropriate licensing or oversight agency for follow up.

Workplace safety complaints about coronavirus or other issues can be filed by calling Washington Labor & Industries at 800.423.7233.

Face covering requirements

Face coverings are required, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public places and at large outdoor events (500 or more people) under the statewide mask mandate. Face coverings are strongly recommended in crowded outdoor settings when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The mandate applies to those 5 years and older. Face coverings are recommended, but not required, for children 2 to 5 years old while in public places. Children younger than 2 should not wear face coverings.

The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness that can lead to hospitalization and death, even among those infected with the delta variant. A small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated may still get COVID-19, but infections in fully vaccinated people tend to be mild.

Most COVID-19 cases continue to be among people who are unvaccinated. However, some people who are fully vaccinated and get infected with the delta variant may be able to spread the virus to others.

Getting vaccinated continues to be the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against COVID-19 and slow the spread of the virus in our community. Public Health strongly recommends everyone 12 years and older get vaccinated.

COVID-19 cases and close contacts

What to expect if you test positive

Health care providers notify Clark County Public Health every time someone tests positive for COVID-19. After receiving the report, Public Health calls the sick person to see how they are doing. We ask everyone who tests positive, regardless of vaccination status, to isolate at home until they are no longer considered contagious. This is to ensure they don’t spread the virus to others.

Those who test positive and have symptoms of COVID-19 can end isolation when:

they’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine AND
other symptoms are improving AND
at least 10 days have passed since symptoms began.

Those who test positive but do not have symptoms can end isolation when:

at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive test AND
they have not developed symptoms of COVID-19

See the handout, What to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19, for additional guidance.

Public Health also asks everyone who tests positive to notify anyone they were in close contact with that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

What to do if you're in close contact with someone who tests positive

Those who had close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 may be at risk of getting sick. This includes close contact that occurred in the two days before the sick person’s symptoms began up until the sick person began isolating. Close contacts include everyone who:

was within 6 feet of the sick person for more than 15 minutes
was near the sick person’s coughs or sneezes
lives in the same home as the sick person
cared for the sick person

Those who have been exposed to COVID-19 can develop symptoms 2 to 14 days after being exposed. Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 -- even those who are fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 in the past -- should get tested.

People who are fully vaccinated and were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 should get tested 3-5 days after exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms. They do not need to quarantine at home but should wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until the test result is negative.

People who are not fully vaccinated and were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 should stay home (quarantine) for 14 days so if they develop symptoms, they don’t get others sick. People in quarantine should not go to work, school, child care or church, or participate in other social or community activities.

People who live or work in a high-priority setting should quarantine for the full 14-day period, due to the increased risk for a potential outbreak in congregate settings. High-priority settings include long-term care facilities, health care facilities, shelters, food processing facilities and jails.

People who are in quarantine and do not live or work in a high-priority setting may shorten their quarantine in the following circumstances:

If a person who is in quarantine has no symptoms, quarantine can end after Day 10.
If a person who is in quarantine receives a negative COVID-19 test and has no symptoms, quarantine can end after Day 7. The person must be tested on or after Day 5, and quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than Day 8. Even if a negative test is received before Day 8, the quarantine period should still be a full seven days.

There is a small chance that people who choose to shorten their quarantine period may transmit the infection to others post-quarantine. Anyone who has been in quarantine should continue to monitor their symptoms and wear a face covering around others through Day 14. If they develop symptoms, they should isolate themselves immediately to avoid infecting others and seek testing for COVID-19.

See the handout, What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19, for additional information.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has additional information about quarantine.

Monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 is now available in Clark County.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies given by injection or IV to stimulate immune response. The FDA issued emergency use authorization for monoclonal antibody treatments for non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for severe COVID-19.

Monoclonal antibodies should be administered as soon as possible and within 10 days of symptoms beginning. Once someone is hospitalized or needs oxygen therapy, they are no longer eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment.

Monoclonal antibody treatment is not a cure, but data shows the treatment can reduce hospitalizations in about 70% of high-risk COVID-19 patients.

People who think they may qualify for monoclonal antibody treatment should talk to their health care provider. Many treatment sites are requiring a provider referral.

Visit the Department of Health website for treatment locations. Additional sites may be available; talk with your health care provider.

WA Notify

Washington state has launched a new anonymous exposure notification tool on your cell phone called WA Notify.

When voluntarily activated, phones with WA Notify use Bluetooth technology to exchange random codes with the phones of other users they are near. It does this without revealing a user’s identity or location.

The tool will alert users who spent time near another user who tests positive for COVID-19, but it won’t provide any details about the person’s identity or location, nor will it tell the user who tested positive anything about those who were exposed.

Visit the WA Notify website to learn more.

Washington state reopening

Washington state reopened on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

The reopening removed distancing requirements and capacity restrictions on nearly all businesses and industries. The state Secretary of Health order requiring face coverings in public places, however, remains in place.

Beginning June 30, all businesses and industries previously covered by the Roadmap to Recovery or the Safe Start plan, except for large indoor venues, can return to usual capacity and operations. Businesses must continue to follow workplace safety guidelines issued by the Department of Labor & Industries.

Large indoor events – those with more than 10,000 people – are limited to 75% capacity, unless vaccination verification is occurring.

The Secretary of Health order requiring face coverings remains in place. Under the state order, everyone – regardless of vaccination status – must wear face coverings in indoor public settings and at large outdoor events with 500 people or more. Face coverings are strongly recommended in all crowded outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The Washington Department of Health and Department of Labor & Industries have issued guidance that outline requirements and additional recommendations for employers:

Additional resources are available on the COVID-19 resources page.

COVID-19 in workplaces

While capacity and physical distancing requirements have been lifted, employers are still required to notify Clark County Public Health if they suspect COVID-19 is spreading in their workplace.

Clark County employers in non-health care settings must notify Public Health within 24 hours if they suspect COVID-19 is spreading in their workplace or if there are two or more confirmed or suspected cases among their employees in a 14-day period.