Washington state reports 705 new COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths on Wednesday
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 705 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five additional deaths.
Pierce County reported 56 new cases Wednesday and no new deaths. Pierce County had a total of 119 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 60,084 cases and 1,624 deaths, up from 59,379 cases and 1,619 deaths on Tuesday.
Thirty-three people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Tuesday, July 28. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 1,010,191 coronavirus tests. On July 28, 14,840 specimens were collected statewide, with 5.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 5.7%.
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 15,865 cases and 659 deaths. Yakima County has the second highest, with 10,142 cases and 210 deaths.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of less than 10.
On Wednesday, Washington had a 788 per 100,000 people case rate. The national rate is 1,449, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Louisiana has the highest rate in the U.S. at 2,671. Hawaii has the lowest at 172.
There had been more than 4.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 157,930 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 703,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 5:08 PM.
