Here are the latest COVID-19 case numbers confirmed Wednesday in Washington state
The Washington state Department of Health reported 2,281 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and 31 deaths.
Pierce County reported 343 cases Wednesday and one new death. Pierce County has a total of 278 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 230,202 cases and 3,162 deaths. The case total includes 8,507 cases listed as probable. Those numbers are up from 227,921 cases and 3,131 deaths on Tuesday. DOH revises previous case and death counts daily.
Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Hospitalizations
One-hundred eight people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Dec. 4, the most recent date with complete data. Preliminary reports indicate average daily hospital admittances were 113 in mid-December.
Approximately 13.8% (1,202) of all staffed adult acute care hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients on Wednesday. In the state’s intensive care units, 21.5% (263) of staffed adult beds were occupied by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Testing
On Dec. 12, the most recent date with confirmed testing data, 15,394 specimens were collected statewide, with 10.2% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 10.2%. More than 3.6 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.
County numbers
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 59,383 cases and 974 deaths. Pierce County is second in cases, with 23,914. Snohomish County has the second-highest number of deaths at 347.
All counties in Washington have cases. Only four counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
Case rates
For the past seven days, Washington had a case rate of 42.8 per 100,000 people. The national rate for the same period is 64.7 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tennessee has the highest rate in the United States, at 127.9. Hawaii is the lowest, at 9.2.
Vaccine
More than 30,000 high risk health care workers have been vaccinated in Washington, according to DOH. This week, 44,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 127,900 of the Moderna vaccine were received in the state and allocated to 220 sites in 37 counties. Pierce County received 4,875 Pfizer doses and 14,100 Moderna doses.
U.S. and world numbers
There have been more than 18.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 326,088 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation.
More than 1.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 78 million.
