3rd person dies from coronavirus in Tri-Cities. Plus 5 new cases announced

A third person in Benton County has died of COVID-19, the Benton-Franklin Health District said Saturday.

It also announced five new confirmed cases in Benton County, bringing the total cases for the two counties to 10, including the deaths.

Benton County now has eight cases and Franklin County has two.

The third person to die was a Benton County man in his 70s who had previously been reported as testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

The new cases on Saturday included a woman in her 70s and two men in their 80s, all of whom are hospitalized. A woman in her 60s and a man in his 50s are recovering at home.

No further information about the new Tri-Cities area cases has been made public.

Walla Walla County reported its first positive test for COVID-19 on Saturday. A man in his 40s is under home isolation for two weeks.

The case is not linked to travel, according to the county Department of Community Health.

This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 2:04 PM.