COVID-19 continues to inflict pain and death in Skagit County.

As of Monday, Skagit recorded its third-highest number of cases in a month, its second-highest number of deaths in a month, and its highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic reached here in March 2020.

Eleven people have died here this month from the acute respiratory virus, according to data on the county and state health department websites; 927 have been infected and 83 have been hospitalized. Meanwhile, vaccination rates continue to inch up, and health officials say a majority of the people hit hardest by the virus are those who are unvaccinated.

“It’s tough,” Island Hospital spokesperson Laura Moroney said. “The latest wave hit us hard.”