Coronavirus cases bump up 6% in 24 hours in Tri-Cities area. More sick meat plant workers

The number of known cases of COVID-19 Tri-Cities area on Saturday increased to 636, as the death tally held steady at 38 for a second day.

The 31 new cases reported in the two counties was an increase of almost 6%, similar to the 5% increase reported 24 hours earlier.

Total cases associated with 10 retirement centers and long-term care homes in the Tri-Cities have reached 178, with two more cases reported at Life Care Center in Richland on Friday. It now has 95 cases in residents and staff.

Of the 38 reported deaths, at least 27 are associated with retirement and long-term care homes.

The Hanford nuclear reservation has reported its first COVID-19 case in an employee, but the employee had not been on site for several weeks.

The known cases at Tyson Fresh Meats in Wallula south of Pasco are now reported in residents of Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla and Umatilla counties.

As of Saturday there were 81 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Tyson beef slaughter and processing plant.

The number of people hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases in Benton and Franklin counties dropped by three to 32 on Friday and then to 28 on Saturday. They account for 10% of people hospitalized for any reason in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser.

Coronavirus deaths

The latest death reported by the Benton Franklin Health District was a Franklin County woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions.

The state had reported a total of four Franklin County deaths on Friday, with local officials just verifying a third death by checking death certificates on Friday. It has not verified the fourth death in Franklin County that was reported by the state.

The Franklin County deaths are in addition to 34 deaths reported in Benton County, which continues to have the third highest death count among Washington state counties.

All those who have died in the Tri-Cities area, as reported by the local health district, had underlying health conditions, which increases the risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

All but two were 60 or older, another risk for serious complications.

They include nine victims in their 90s, 11 in their 80s, nine in their 70s, six in their 60s and two in their 50s. The victims were 17 women and 20 men.

The number of employees of healthcare facilities — including hospitals, clinics and nursing homes — who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the two county area is 109.

Tri-Cities cases

The case breakdown as of Saturday in the Tri-Cities area was 397 cases in Benton County and 239 cases in Franklin County since the start of the outbreak

Benton County cases include 306 confirmed by testing for the new coronavirus and 91 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 177 confirmed by testing and 62 additional probable cases.

With more than 600 cases in the two counties, Benton and Franklin health officials say they 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 to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, with staff assigned to work seven days a week.

Hanford coronavirus

The Department of Energy reported late last week than an employee, who works for Washington River Protection Solutions at the Hanford tank farms, tested positive for the new coronavirus on Thursday afternoon, after not being on site at Hanford since March 17.

Only work essential to protect the public, workers and the environment has been done on the vast reservation for about four weeks, and Thursday, before the first case was known, the partial closure of the site was extended for another week.

Hanford has about 11,000 workers with just 10 to 15 percent of them now working on site.

About 60 percent of Hanford workers are teleworking to support on-site activities.

The building where the ill worker was based at Hanford was previously cleaned as part of ongoing, enhanced cleaning protocols that meet Centers for Disease Control guidelines related to the new coronavirus, said John Eschenberg, president of the tank farm contractor.

The worker was based in a mobile office in the 200 East Area at the center of the 580-square-mile site.

The Benton Franklin Health District will determine who the worker’s close contacts were during the worker may have been contagious. Close contacts will be notified.

The majority of Hanford employees live in Benton and Franklin counties, where 571 cases of COVID-19 had been reported as of Thursday morning.

Multiple possible cases of COVID-19 have been reported by Hanford workers over the last month, but this is the first positive case to the knowledge of DOE officials.

In most cases, the areas where workers in suspected cases had been recently have been closed for cleaning and sanitizing.

Hanford workers paid

Brian Vance, the DOE Hanford manager, sent a message to employees saying progress continues to be made toward environmental cleanup at Hanford though remote work.

“Each week we will continue to evaluate the multiple factors under consideration that will lead to a decision to begin a phased, structured and methodical process toward resuming full site operations when conditions support (it),” he told workers.

Thanks to the economic stimulus bill signed by President Trump last month, almost all Hanford workers will be paid for 40 hours a week, even if they cannot telework and are not assigned to the current work considered critical for safety at Hanford.

Provisions that allow Hanford workers to be paid were inserted in the bill due to the efforts of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash.