76% of Tri-Cities coronavirus deaths linked to senior care centers. 32 victims still hospitalized

Three more people in the Tri-Cities area have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the total to 34.

They includes 26 deaths tied to senior care or retirement homes. They account for 76 percent of the deaths in Benton and Franklin counties.

One of the deaths announced Wednesday was a Benton County woman in her 50s, making her the youngest person to die in the Tri-Cities from complications of COVID-19.

The Benton Franklin Health District for the first time Wednesday included the number of people hospitalized in the two counties in its daily report.

It said there were 32 hospitalized patients in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser with confirmed COVID-19 or suspected cases.

The number of known cases in the two counties increased from 530 on Tuesday to 543 on Wednesday, an increase of just 2 percent.

The number of healthcare workers with COVID-19 increased by one to 102. The total may include workers in hospitals, clinics or long-term care homes.

More Tyson cases

The new cases included five at Tyson Fresh Meats south of Pasco at Wallula, bringing the total there to 47.

They include six people who live in Walla Walla County in the Burbank and Wallula area and 41 in Benton and Franklin counties.

Nursing homes, assisted living centers and retirement community cases increased by five on Wednesday, bringing the total cases to 171, with cases reported in seven facilities. Cases may include both residents and staff.

Life Care Center of Richland, a nursing home, had four more cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 92. The other new case was at Regency Canyon Lakes, also a nursing home, to bring its total cases to 52.

Bonaventure Senior Living of Richland had 13 cases, Solstice Senior Living in Kennewick had nine cases, Affinity at Southridge in Kennewick had three cases and Parkfiew Estates in Kennewick and Tri-Cities Retirement Inn in Pasco each have had one case.

Franklin County has had two deaths reported from complications of COVID-10 and Benton County has had the remaining 32.

Local health officials say the disparity between the two counties can be explained by the concentration of the area’s retirement and long term care facilities in Richland and Kennewick, rather than in Pasco.

Benton County continues to have the third highest number of deaths in the state related to the new coronavirus, following King County with 303 deaths and Snohomish County with 77 deaths, with all counties’ data last reported Tuesday evening.

Tri-Cities area cases

The most recent deaths, in addition to the woman in her 50s, include a Benton County man in his 70s and a Benton County woman in her 80s.

Additional information about the three deaths has not been made public by health officials.

The total deaths now include nine victims in their 90s, 11 in their 80s, eight in their 70s, five in their 60s and one in their 50s.

The Benton Franklin Health District checks death certificates to confirm that deaths were related to COVID-19.

Being 60 or older or having pre-existing conditions, such as heart or lung disease, makes people more likely to have serious complications if infected with the new coronavirus.

People older than 60 in the Tri-Cities account for 29 percent of the known cases, but 97 percent of the deaths.

Those ages 21 to 60 account for 61 percent of the known cases and those 20 and younger account for 20 percent of the known cases.

The new total of known cases for the two local counties on Wednesday included 353 in Benton County and 190 in Franklin County.

Benton County cases include 273 confirmed by testing for the new coronavirus and 80 additional probable cases for which testing was not done, but people developed symptoms after close contact with a person who tested positive.

Franklin County cases include 137 confirmed by testing and 53 additional probable cases.

With more than 500 cases in the two counties, Benton and Franklin health officials do not have the staff to determine how many cases are active and how many people have recovered.

Much of the local health district’s staff time is used to identify and notify close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 1:55 PM.