Quick covid-19 update: Two more new cases; J&J vaccinations halted

* Wahkiakum County's covid-19 virus caseload increased by two this past week and now totals 106.

* The county remains in Phase 3, while increasing caseloads have pushed Cowlitz, Pierce and Whitman counties back into more-limited Phase 2, effective this Friday.

* On Tuesday, federal agencies announced that cases of potentially severe blood clotting have occurred among people receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and they've recommended suspending application of that vaccine until they have a better understanding of the relationship between the vaccine and the clotting.

* Wahkiakum County's Health Department administered 100 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a clinic last Wednesday in Rosburg. The county will not administer any more doses of that vaccine until cleared by state and federal agencies.

* The county health department is hosting a clinic this Saturday at the Hope Center in Cathlamet. Vaccinations with the Moderna vaccine will be available to any Washington resident age 16 and above. Call 360-849-4041 for an appointment.

* According the a Tuesday report from the Washington Department of Health, the incidence of clotting from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is low. Symptoms show up approximately 2-3 weeks after receiving the shot. The report says, " About 149,000 doses of J & J vaccine have been administered in Washington so far, out of more than four million doses total. At this time, we have no knowledge of the six patients [all women under age 50] who experienced these blood clots being Washington residents.

"For those who got the vaccine more than a month ago, the risk of this complication is very low at this time. People who have received the J & J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider."