Washington state reports 327 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and 9 deaths
The Washington state Department of Health on Tuesday reported 327 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths.
Pierce County reported 26 cases Tuesday and two new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 162 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 80,465 cases and 2,015 deaths, up from 80,138 cases and 2,006 Monday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Twenty-six people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 27, 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. 4, the most recent date with complete data, 12,022 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.4%. More than 1.66 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 20,960 cases and 748 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,186 cases and 252 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,364.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Tuesday, Washington had a 1,064-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,410. Vermont is lowest at 272.
There had been more than 6.59 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 195,501 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Tuesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 931,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 3:39 PM.
