CHEHALIS – In an effort to share the latest health care information and allay false data, the Economic Alliance of Lewis County hosted a roundtable discussion on coronavirus Wednesday in Chehalis. Centralia Internist, Dr. Floyd Smith said,”The best thing you can do for prevention, no question, is vaccination.  I tell people not to get hung up in the politics and the mandate and so forth and just look at the risk of side effects of vaccination and the risk of getting the disease.” Lewis County Health reports 325 new COVID infections in the week ending Saturday, a slight decrease from the week before. 11 outbreaks of the virus, which amounts to two or more people at one location, and 32 new hospitalizations. Valley View Medical Center CEO Gaelen Spradley says most affected by the new strain of the virus are younger people. “The sense of immunity that younger people had this time last year is not the case anymore. People who are symptomatic and in the hospital today, they consider themselves to be healthier”, he said. Both Spradley and Dr. Smith say early intervention is key. While medical professionals say the vaccine can limit the effect of the virus should you contract it, there continues to be concern over the Governor’s requirement to be vaccinated. Centralia lawyer and State Representative Peter Abbarno cited a recent ruling in a California case where 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals judges wrote there are “protections for fundamental liberties” including what the court described as “bodily integrity.” At last count 40% of Lewis County residents have been completely vaccinated.