Spokane County topped 3,000 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, as the Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 115 new cases.
The news came as no surprise to local health officials, who predicted the exponential growth of COVID-19 that has happened in the county in recent weeks.
Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz warned this week that the county has yet to hit its peak of cases and that only better adherence to mask mandates and gathering restrictions will ultimately bring down case counts . Case counts will not reflect changes in behavior for several weeks, however, which is why the number of cases and hospitalizations is expected to continue to grow, even as more people wear masks in public.
“The biggest issue I have is people not following the guidance in backyards or parks,” Lutz told reporters on Wednesday. “So it’s great to have 90% of people wearing (masks) in retail stores, but it’s what they do on their own time that’s affecting infection rates.”