About 2,700 Island County residents without symptoms will be tested for COVID-19 during the second week of May as part of a statewide plan that may guide the ongoing response, according to Public Health Director Keith Higman.

Meanwhile, new cases of the virus are “tapering off” in the county, although positive results came back in three cases over the weekend, he said.

The county has had 171 confirmed cases as of April 27 while the number of deaths remains at nine.

“The stay-at-home initiative has worked really well in Island County,” Higman said.

A video for #IslandCountyStrong posted on the Public Health website features public officials discussing the successes and the need to continue social distancing.

Higman explained that the large-scale sampling will include those in the “most vulnerable” groups, including first responders, hospital staff and people in long-term-care facilities. In addition, a randomized sampling of residents will be invited by mailers to get tested.

Higman said the state has plenty of lab capacity and the county will have the necessary staffing to do the testing. Public Health will work with the hospital district and fire departments.

The medical reserve corps and even school nurses will also be called upon to assist, Higman said.

The only potential obstacle is the availability of testing kits, according to Higman.

The plan announced by the governor has two main goals, the public health director opined. It will allow public health officials to identify people with the virus within a large group of county residents.

Those people will be isolated as quickly as possible, along with those they have had close contact with.

Testing asymptomatic people throughout the state will also give Gov. Jay Inslee and his advisors valuable information about the prevalence of the illness.

Inslee will need to make a decision about extending the stay-at-home order this week since it expires May 4.

In the past few days Inslee has relaxed restrictions on the construction industry, state park closures, hunting and fishing and even golf courses.

Still, Higman said state officials don’t have enough information to make a decision about more significant changes, like opening restaurants or allowing people to roam freely.

“I’m pretty confident that the governor doesn’t have the data now to completely lift the order,” he said.