Washington state reports 988 new COVID-19 cases Friday and 20 deaths
The Washington State Department of Health on Friday reported 988 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths.
Of Friday’s cases, 486 come from Clark County, DOH said.
“These new cases are a result of a recently identified backlog that is in the process of being resolved,” DOH said on its website.
Pierce County reported 54 cases Friday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 170 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
The U.S. passed the 7 million mark for total number of COVID-19 cases on Friday.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 85,226 cases and 2,100 deaths, up from 84,238 cases and 2,080 deaths Thursday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Twenty people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Sep. 6, 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. 14, the most recent date with complete data, 13,944 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.3% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.1%. More than 1.8 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 21,866 cases and 768 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,347 cases and 258 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,788.
All counties in Washington have cases. Ten counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Friday, Washington had a 1,118-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 2,103, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,529. Vermont is lowest at 276.
There had been more than 7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 203,615 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 987,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 32 million.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 6:35 PM.
