Washington state reports 833 new COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths on Thursday
The Washington State Department of Health on Thursday reported 833 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 29 deaths.
Pierce County reported 123 new cases Thursday, a single-day high, and five new deaths. Pierce County had a total of 123 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 60,917 cases and 1,653 deaths, up from 60,084 cases and 1,624 deaths Wednesday.
Forty-two people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on July 29. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 1,011,024 coronavirus tests. On July 29, 11,699 specimens were collected statewide, with 7.1% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 5.9%.
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 16,078 cases and 664 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,167 cases and 211 deaths.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Thursday, Washington had a 797 per 100,000 people case rate. The national rate is 1,465, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the U.S. at 2,703. Hawaii is lowest at 183.
There had been more than 4.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 159,990 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 712,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
