Washington state reports 347 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and 5 deaths
The Washington state Department of Health on Wednesday reported 347 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five deaths.
Pierce County reported 34 cases Wednesday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 162 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 80,812 cases and 2,020 deaths, up from 80,465 cases and 2,015 Tuesday. 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. 28, 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. 5, the most recent date with complete data, 7,933 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.4%. More than 1.67 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 21,049 cases and 749 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,194 cases and 253 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,395.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Wednesday, Washington had a 1,068-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,986, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,418. Vermont is lowest at 272.
There had been more than 6.62 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 196,485 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation. More than 937,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 29 million.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 3:42 PM.
