Washington reports 253 new COVID-19 cases; deaths backtrack and testing marred by error
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 253 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 while total deaths rolled backward and a data error affected testing statistics.
The total number of deaths dropped by five to 1,226 on Wednesday after the state removed people who may have been positive for COVID-19 but who died from another cause.
“Until now, when a death is reported as a COVID-19 death, it is because the person who passed away also tested positive for COVID-19,” the DOH said in a statement. “However, this method doesn’t just reflect the deaths of people whose deaths were caused by COVID-19; it can include someone who may have died of other causes.”
Washington state has conducted 435,016 coronavirus tests, with 6.2 percent coming back positive. The positive rate reflects a significant jump from Tuesday’s 5.5 percent rate. The test numbers dropped by by 45,010. The differences are from a data reporting error, the DOH said in a statement Wednesday.
The state said Wednesday that it has mistakenly been including negative antibody test results along with its negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in its data since April 21. The state apologized for the error and said it had not affected policy decision making on county phase re-openings.
Pierce County reported 17 new cases and no new deaths Wednesday. Pierce County had a total of 83 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Wednesday.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 26,784 cases and 1,226 deaths, up from 26,531 cases and down from 1,231 deaths on Tuesday.
Twenty-nine people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on June 9, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 admittances, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
The total number of people who have been hospitalized in Washington state with a confirmed case of COVID-19 stood at 3,938 on Wednesday.
There have been more than 2.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 117,622 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 446,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 8,850 cases and 595 deaths. Snohomish County has the second highest number of deaths at 158. Yakima County has the second highest number of cases at 5,597.
Washington’s least populous county, Garfield, remains the only one without a case. Six other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases each.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 5:46 PM.
