Here are the latest COVID-19 case numbers confirmed Thursday in Washington state
The Washington state Department of Health reported 3,074 new cases of COVID-19 and 75 deaths Thursday.
Pierce County reported 267 cases Thursday and five new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 268 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 217,205 cases and 3,117 deaths. The case total includes 7,861 cases listed as probable. Those numbers are up from 214,131 cases and 3,042 deaths on Wednesday. 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 twenty-two people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Nov. 28, the most recent date with complete data. Preliminary reports indicate average daily admittances were 118 in mid-December.
Approximately 14.1% (1,233) of all staffed adult acute care hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients on Thursday. In the state’s intensive care units, 22.9% (279) of staffed adult beds were occupied by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Testing
On Dec. 6, the most recent date with confirmed testing data, 7,637 specimens were collected statewide, with 14.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 13.9%. More than 3.4 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 56,268 cases and 968 deaths. Pierce County is second in cases, with 22,964. Snohomish County has the second-highest number of deaths at 338.
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 46.3 per 100,000 people. The national rate for the same period is 64.8 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tennessee has the highest rate in the United States, at 129.4. Hawaii is the lowest, at 8.2.
Vaccine
As of Wednesday evening, 1,159 doses of coronavirus vaccine had been administered to high-risk health workers in Washington, according to DOH.
U.S. and world numbers
There have been more than 17.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 309,859 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 1.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 74 million.
