As of the beginning of January 2022, the CDC places Clallam County in the highest level of infection rate. All Washington State counties (except Garfield in Eastern Washington) are also rated in the highest level. Clallam County is currently experiencing it’s highest rates of COVID-19 infection ever.
At the same time, the Omicron variant is recognized as the most contagious variant, and is substantially more deadly than the original version of COVID-19. Hospitals and medical staff are being overwhelmed handling the extreme spike of infections in people of all ages, and the Omicron wave is just beginning.
New Zealand officials described how contagious Omicron is. Because New Zealand takes pandemic prevention measures seriously, and by using genetic testing, camera footage, and careful contact tracing, they were able to determine that one person in a quarantine facility was able to infect three others. Their policies prohibited people in quarantine from opening their doors, except to receive food or a COVID-19 test, and not two doors were allowed to be opened at the same time. Nevertheless, the infection happened simply when two quaratntine-hotel room doors were opened at the same time.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/30/health/new-zealand-covid-facility-transmission/index.html
The Clallam County vaccine requirement for indoor dining remains in place.
In British Columbia, infection rates are spiking. All in-person court appearances are cancelled. CBC radio reported today that the Omicron wave could be over in 6 weeks if everyone does the right thing, otherwise it is likely to last 3-4 months. They previously reported the Omicron variant could be caught from 33 feet (10 meters) away.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-19-update-jan-3-1.6303041