Washington state reports 404 new COVID-19 cases Friday and 6 deaths
The Washington state Department of Health on Friday reported 404 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.
Pierce County reported 51 cases Friday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 162 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 81,602 cases and 2,037 deaths, up from 81,198 cases and 2,031 deaths Thursday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Seventeen people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Aug. 30, 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. 7, the most recent date with complete data, 5,865 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.4% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.4%. More than 1.7 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 21,264 cases and 751 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,229 cases and 256 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,467.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Friday, Washington had a 1,078-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 2,012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,441. Vermont is lowest at 272.
There had been more than 6.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 198,407 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation. More than 948,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 30 million.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 3:38 PM.
