Washington state reports 456 new COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths on Wednesday
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 456 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.
Pierce County reported 44 cases Wednesday and one new death. Pierce County had a total of 145 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 72,161 cases and 1,880 deaths, up from 71,705 cases and 1,876 deaths Tuesday.
Thirty-eight people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 8, 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. 15, the most recent date with complete data, 8,831 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.9% 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 18,976 cases and 719 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,853 cases and 237 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,621.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Wednesday, Washington had a 952-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,755, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,093. Vermont is lowest at 251.
There had been nearly 5.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 179,344 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 821,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
