Washington state reports 598 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths on Friday
The Washington State Department of Health on Friday reported 598 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths.
Pierce County reported 35 cases Friday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 146 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 73,301 cases and 1,905 deaths, up from 72,703 cases and 1,890 deaths Thursday.
Thirty-two 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. 17, the most recent date with complete data, 16,281 specimens were collected statewide, with 4% 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 19,322 cases and 723 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,899 cases and 239 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,678.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Friday, Washington had a 965-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,784, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,140. Vermont is lowest at 253.
There had been nearly 5.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 181,265 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Friday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 833,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 5:11 PM.
