Washington state reports 438 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and four deaths
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 438 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.
Pierce County reported 31 cases Wednesday and two new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 152 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 75,377 cases and 1,935 deaths, up from 74,939 cases and 1,931 Tuesday.
Thirty-one people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 14, 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. 22, the most recent date with complete data, 9,798 specimens were collected statewide, with 2.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.5%. 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 19,797 cases and 731 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,975 cases and 242 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,873.
All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.
On Wednesday, Washington had a 994-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,845, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,210. Vermont is lowest at 261.
There had been more than 6.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 185,644 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 859,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 3:55 PM.
