Washington state reports 746 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Saturday
The Washington State Department of Health on Friday reported 746 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths.
Pierce County reported 61 new cases and no new deaths on Saturday. Pierce County had a total of 132 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Saturday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 66,885 cases and 1,766 deaths, up from 66,139 cases and 1,755 deaths on Friday.
Thirty-five people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 6, the most recent date with complete data. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.
The total number of tests conducted is temporarily unavailable, according to the DOH. On Aug. 6, 9,391 specimens were collected statewide, with 7.3% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 7%.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, whichare given to patients while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 17,491 cases and 688 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,590 cases and 220 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,094.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Thursday, Washington had a 878-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,613, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 2,934. Vermont is lowest at 240.
There had been over 5.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 169,423 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Saturday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 768,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 5:36 PM.
