Washington state reports 386 new COVID-19 cases Thursday and 11 deaths
The Washington state Department of Health on Thursday reported 386 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths.
Pierce County reported 28 cases Thursday and one new death. Pierce County has a total of 162 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 81,198 cases and 2,031 deaths, up from 80,812 cases and 2,020 deaths Wednesday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Twenty-four people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 29, 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. 6, the most recent date with complete data, 4,708 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.2% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.4%. More than 1.69 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 21,148 cases and 750 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,213 cases and 255 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,425.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Thursday, Washington had a 1,072-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,998, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,431. Vermont is lowest at 272.
There had been more than 6.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 197,447 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Thursday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation. More than 942,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 29 million.
