FROM THE AP: Official: ‘Critical to understand long-term nature of virus’

SEATTLE (AP) — COVID-19 isn’t going away soon, so people need to learn to make protecting each other’s health part of daily life, King County’s top public health official said Friday.

“It’s just critical that, as a community, we understand the long-term nature of COVID-19,” Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said at a news conference. “None of us asked for this, none of us wanted this. But it’s with us and we have to deal with it. And if we don’t deal with it, it will deal with us.”

King County saw an average of 118 new cases per day during the week ending July 9, according to the county. That’s nearly triple the daily average for the week ending June 9.

People younger than 40 account for almost three-quarters of King County cases during the past two weeks, with more than one-third of those cases occurring in people in their 20s.

They are likely to spread it to older and more vulnerable populations unless they limit unnecessary interactions, stay a safe distance away from others and wear masks, Duchin said.

“Regardless of our age or personal health status, we are highly interdependent and interconnected,” Duchin said. “Our success moving forward as a community depends on the ability of every sector of our society to decrease COVID-19 transmission. We all have to pull our weight.”