A backlog of Washington’s COVID-19 testing has delayed the reporting of Clark County’s eight test results, which were expected back by midweek.

Clark County has eight people under investigation for the virus. Specimens for seven people were sent Monday to Washington Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline, and specimens for an eighth person were sent Tuesday.

On Monday, Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said the first seven tests would probably return by Tuesday or Wednesday. And then on Thursday morning, the agency’s Twitter account said results were expected back before the end of the day. Melnick said the state informed Clark County Public Health that it would receive the results by 2 p.m., but that didn’t happen.

Clark County Public Health has no control over how quickly the testing is done, because testing is handled by the state, said the department’s spokeswoman, Marissa Armstrong. Melnick stressed that the eight people awaiting test results are isolated.

“There’s a lot of panic going on about this, but it’s not like there’s nothing being done with those folks,” Melnick said. “The persons under investigation are not spreading the disease.”