Washington state reports 542 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths on Thursday
The Washington State Department of Health on Thursday reported 542 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths.
Pierce County reported 45 cases Thursday and one new death. Pierce County has a total of 146 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 72,703 cases and 1,890 deaths, up from 72,161 cases and 1,880 deaths Wednesday.
Thirty-nine people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 9, 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. 16, the most recent date with complete data, 4,953 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.2% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 4%. More than 1.4 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 19,155 cases and 722 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,869 cases and 238 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,661.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Thursday, Washington had a 958-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,769, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,126. Vermont is lowest at 252.
There had been nearly 5.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 180,527 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Thursday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 828,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
