Coronavirus updates: State passes 52k cases, 1.5k deaths
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, July 27.
Updated at 4:55 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Monday reported 686 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths.
Pierce County reported 105 new cases Monday and no new deaths. Pierce County had a total of 106 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Monday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 53,321 cases and 1,518 deaths, up from 52,635 cases and 1,501 deaths on Sunday.
Forty-two people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Sunday, July 19, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 people admitted, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 933,304 coronavirus tests. On July 19, the most recent date for which data is complete, 5,033 specimens were collected statewide, with 5.6% testing positive. The average test rate for the seven days prior was 5.1%.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are given to patients while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 14,579 cases and 645 deaths. Yakima County has the second-highest numbers, with 9,700 cases and 197 deaths.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield, Lincoln and Wahkiakum have case counts of less than 10.
On Friday, Washington had a 698 per 100,000 people case rate, up from 663 on Friday. The national rate is 1,289, up from 1,227 on Friday.
There had been more than 4.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 147,791 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 650,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
Pierce County reports 105 new cases
Updated at 2:50 p.m.
Pierce County on Monday reported 105 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths.
County totals are now 4,516 cases and 106 deaths since the first case in the pandemic was recorded March 6.
The Tacoma Pierce-County Health Department has reported 1,257 cases in the past 14 days. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 people is 139.4. The average cases per day over the last 14 days is 89.68. There are 1,998 active cases as of July 26.
Daily totals for cases and deaths can change as the county receives new information, finds duplicate data or is assigned cases originally attributed to other counties.
Pierce County has seen increased daily totals lately, and the health department reports that 23% of cases are among 20-29 year olds, who make up 14% of the population, and 40% of cases are among 30-39 year olds, who make up 27% of the population.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. For more information on other local testing sites, go to www.tpchd.org/covidtest.
Monday’s geographical case totals are listed below with previous day’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 108 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 301 (293)
▪ East Pierce County: 116 (114)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 179 (176)
▪ Frederickson: 171 (166)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 114 (111)
▪ Graham: 135 (129)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 23 (21)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 141 (138)
▪ Lakewood: 422 (418)
▪ Parkland: 262 (250)
▪ Puyallup: 287 (282)
▪ South Hill: 238 (231)
▪ South Pierce County: 93 (90)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 51 (50)
▪ Spanaway: 172 (169)
▪ Tacoma: 1,459 (1,426)
▪ University Place: 200 (195)
▪ Unknown: 44 (no change)
State reports 786 new cases Sunday
Updated at 9:05 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Sunday reported 786 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 52,635 cases and 1,501 deaths, up from 51,849 cases and 1,494 deaths on Saturday.
Thirty-five people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on July 18, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 people admitted, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 919,347 coronavirus tests. On July 18, the most recent date for which data is complete, 9,493 specimens were collected statewide with 4.9% testing positive.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are given while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 14,417 cases and 644 deaths. Yakima County has the second-highest numbers, with 9,629 cases and 194 deaths. Pierce County reported 92 new cases Sunday and no additional deaths. County totals are now 4,411 cases and 106 deaths.
All counties in Washington have cases. Four of them have case counts of less than 10.
USDA announces third round of Farmers to Families food box program purchases
Updated at 9:05 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture will launch a third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases with distributions to begin by September 1 with completion by October 31.
The purchases will spend the balance of $3 billion authorized for the program. So far, over 46 million Farmers to Families Food Boxes have been invoiced and delivered.
“This third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases is a testament to the great work done by vendors in support of American agriculture and the American people. It is also a testament that the program is accomplishing what we intended — supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most. It’s a real trifecta, which is why we call it a win-win-win,” Perdue said in a statement. “The efforts of everyone involved form the backbone of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program and its goal to help fill the hunger gap in all of our communities.”
In this third round of purchases, USDA plans to purchase combination boxes to ensure all recipient organizations have access to fresh produce, dairy products, fluid milk, and meat products.
Eligibility in the third round will be open to entities who can meet the government’s requirements and specifications. Proposals will be expected to illustrate how coverage will be provided to areas identified as opportunity zones, detail subcontracting agreements and address the “last mile” delivery of product into the hands of the food insecure population.
Virus vaccine put to final test in thousands of volunteers
Updated at 9:05 a.m.
The world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government — one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.
There’s still no guarantee that the experimental vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.
The needed proof: Volunteers won’t know if they’re getting the real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked.
“Unfortunately for the United States of America, we have plenty of infections right now” to get that answer, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press.
Moderna said the vaccination was done in Savannah, Georgia, the first site to get underway among more than seven dozen trial sites scattered around the country.
In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting said she volunteered as a way “to do my part to help out.”
“I’m excited,” Harting said before she received a study injection Monday morning. Especially with family members in front-line jobs that could expose them to the virus, “doing our part to eradicate it is very important to me.”
Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries earlier this month.
But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate -- each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 9:06 AM.
