3 more coronavirus deaths in Tri-Cities area for total of 81
Three more deaths from complications of the new coronavirus in the Tri-Cities area were reported by the Benton Franklin Health District on Wednesday.
They bring the total deaths reported to 81, with 64 of those in Benton County.
The new data released on Wednesday also showed a significant increase in the number of people hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Known cases increased by about 1%, which is still too high for the Tri-Cities to be allowed by state officials to open more businesses.
The three most recent deaths were all in Benton County.
They included a man in his 70s with underlying health conditions and two women in their 70s. One had underlying health conditions and the other did not.
Just four people who have died due to infection with the new coronavirus in the two counties have not had underlying health conditions that increase their risk of a severe case of COVID-19.
The local health district reported that the number of deaths associated with senior living or long-term care facilities increased to 58 as of Wednesday, or about 72% of total deaths.
It also has reported three people, who died worked at Tyson Fresh Meats south of Pasco, which means that 20 of those who died, or 25%, were not residents of homes for seniors or workers at the beef plant.
Tri-Cities cases
The number of known cases reported on Wednesday for the Tri-Cities area increased by 22 to 1,560, a jump of just over 1%. It is lower than the increases of about 2% a day reported for the previous four days.
The Tri-Cities has not had an increase larger than about 3% since the first few days of the month when the results of testing of workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant south of Pasco were being added to the tally of local cases.
The Benton Franklin Health District said on Wednesday that it considers the beef slaughter and packing plant outbreak over after having 14 days without a new case reported in a worker there.
Almost one in five workers at the plant tested positive in the outbreak.
The Benton Franklin Health District reported 251 workers who commute from the Tri-Cities area to work at the Wallula plant tested positive for COVID-19 in the outbreak, not including family members they infected. In addition, 26 workers who do not live in Benton and Franklin counties tested positive.
To allow more businesses to reopen in the Tri-Cities under requirements of Gov. Gay Inslee’s Safe Start plan, the number of new known cases needs to drop to 29 cases total over two weeks.
The requirement for Benton County is 20 cases and in less populous Franklin County it is 9 cases, based on a state standard of no more than 10 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks.
The new known cases reported just on Wednesday included 10 new Benton County cases and 12 new Franklin County cases.
They include cases confirmed with positive test results and also four for each county for which test results were not available but those patients had symptoms and close contact with confirmed cases.
Hospitalized cases
The number of patients in the two counties hospitalized with known or suspected COVID-19 jumped to 50, as reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the local health district had reports of 37 patients being treated for COVID-19. That was down from the 42 patients reported at hospitals in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser on May 11.
The number of people reported hospitalized for treatment of possible COVID-19 on Wednesday accounted for 16% of hospitalized patients.
No information has been made public on the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units or on their condition.
The Washington state Department of Health has reported 128 hospitalizations of Benton County residents for confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak and 62 for Franklin County residents.
One more healthcare worker in the Tri-Cities area was reported to have COVID-19 as of Wednesday, for a total of 206 since the start of the outbreak.
Another resident of a retirement community or long-term care home also was reported to have COVID-19, for a total of 202 during the pandemic.
No local information is available on how many people have recovered from COVID-19.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 3:17 PM.