Washington state reports 334 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths on Tuesday
The Washington State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 334 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths.
Pierce County reported 30 cases Tuesday and one new death. Pierce County had a total of 144 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 71,705 cases and 1,876 deaths, up from 71,371 cases and 1,867 deaths Monday.
Thirty-six 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.
On Aug. 14, the most recent date with complete data, 14,510 specimens were collected statewide, with 4.3% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 4.1%. More than 1.3 million tests have been conducted in Washington.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction tests, which are administered while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 18,837 cases and 715 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,843 cases and 237 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,585.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Tuesday, Washington had a 947-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,744, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,081. Vermont is lowest at 250.
There had been nearly 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 178,326 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Tuesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 815,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
