Washington state reports 312 new COVID-19 cases Monday and 15 deaths from weekend
The Washington state Department of Health on Monday reported 312 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths from the weekend. DOH does not report deaths on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pierce County reported 20 cases Monday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 160 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Monday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 80,138 cases and 2,006 deaths, up from 79,826 cases and 1,991 Sunday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Twenty-two people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 26, 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 Sept. 3, the most recent date with complete data, 13,338 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.8% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.3%. More than 1.65 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 20,912 cases and 747 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,171 cases and 251 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,338.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Monday, Washington had a 1,059-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,984, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,399. Vermont is lowest at 269.
There had been more than 6.54 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 194,411 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Monday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 925,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
