Pierce County cases dip Monday to 54 but no new deaths

New coronavirus cases dipped Monday to 54, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported, with no new deaths.

The lower numbers follow Sunday’s count of more than 100 new cases, as Washington state passed 98,000 cases over the weekend.

The health department again cautioned that fewer people went to testing sites on weekends, when labs are also short on staff.

The 14-day case rate per 100,000 people in Pierce County is 110.6 on Monday, with average cases per day over that same period at 71.3.

Taking into account the six-day data lag, which helps the county ensure testing accuracy for Safe Start metrics, the county’s case rate is higher, at 90.6.

In total, Pierce County has had 9,169 cases and 185 deaths.

Residents under the age of 40 continue to comprise more than a third of new positive cases of COVID-19. In the past two weeks, 30- to 39-year-olds accounted for more than 20 percent of new cases.

Meanwhile, the under-20 population accounted for more than 15 percent of new cases in the past 14 days and 11.5 percent overall.

This story was originally published October 19, 2020 at 1:57 PM.