Washington state reports 504 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths on Tuesday
The Washington State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 504 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 19 deaths.
Pierce County reported 72 cases Tuesday and two new deaths. Pierce County had a total of 128 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 64,151 cases and 1,716 deaths, up from 63,647 cases and 1,697 deaths Monday.
Forty-four people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 3, the most recent date with complete data. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 954,355 coronavirus tests. On Aug. 3, 11,637 specimens were collected statewide, with 7.1% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 7%.
The total number of tests dropped Tuesday because of continuing issues the DOH has with reporting an accurate number of negative tests, it reported on its website.
“These issues involved people who received multiple tests,” the DOH said. “As we work to solve this issue, today we are reporting negative lab data, but it should be considered preliminary.”
The number of people testing negative reflected in the data dropped Tuesday. The problem dates back to June, DOH said, but has recently become more pronounced.
“We hope to be able to share more about what caused this issue, and what our solution is, soon,” DOH said.
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 16,808 cases and 686 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,389 cases and 211 deaths.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Tuesday, Washington had a 845-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,545, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the U.S. at 2,832. Vermont is lowest at 233.
There had been more than 5.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 164,502 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 738,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 6:13 PM.
