Washington state reports 536 new COVID-19 cases Thursday
The Washington state Department of Health on Thursday reported 536 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one less death from the previous day.
The state did not give any explanation for the drop in deaths other than saying the information was up-to-date as of Thursday. The state has periodically adjusted numbers during the pandemic after discovering errors in data reporting.
Pierce County reported 41 cases and one new death Thursday. Pierce County has a total of 170 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 84,238 cases and 2,080 deaths, up from 83,702 cases and down from 2,081 deaths Wednesday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Thirty-four people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Sep. 5, 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. 13, the most recent date with complete data, 4,606 specimens were collected statewide, with 3% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3%. More than 1.78 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 21,760 cases and 759 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,331 cases and 257 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,736.
All counties in Washington have cases. Ten counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Thursday, Washington had a 1,111-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 2,090, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,516. Vermont is lowest at 275.
There had been more than 6.9 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 202,738 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 980,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 32 million.
