COVID surge: Tri-Cities averaging 52 new cases a day for a week

Some 62 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Tri-Cities area Thursday, and hospitals also reported another jump in patients being treated for the illness.

“We have had a very, very large number of cases over the last seven days that have stretched our staff to the max to be able to respond quickly, respond effectively and work toward helping our community mitigate the spread,” said Rick Dawson, a senior manager for the Benton Franklin Health District. He spoke at a Thursday internet news conference

After 90 days of dealing with the pandemic in the Tri-Cities area, many people are no longer staying home and are gathering in groups, he said.

In the last seven days the health district has reported 367 new cases of COVID-19, all confirmed by testing. That is an average of 52 each day.

That’s nearly 10 times the average number of cases set by the state for the two counties combined, as state officials consider allowing many local businesses to reopen.

The new cases include 36 in Benton County and 29 in Franklin County, including three previously known Tri-Cities area cases that had not yet been assigned to one of the two counties.

It brings the total of Benton County confirmed cases to 1,051 and the Franklin cases to 871, for a total of 1,922.

There were no new deaths from complications of COVID-19 reported on Thursday. The total remains 90, with 71 in Benton County and 19 in Franklin County.

Hospitalizations climb

The number of patients hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped again, reaching 68. That is nearly double the number of COVID patients hospitalized in the two counties less than three weeks ago.

They account for 22% of hospital patients in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser.

Three more Tri-Cities area healthcare workers were added Thursday to the tally of those diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The total is 211.

Another resident of a long-term care or retirement home also has been diagnosed with the illness, bringing the total of confirmed cases in residents of the facility since the start of the pandemic to 208.

Local public health officials do not have a lot of confidence in data being collected statewide on negative test results, Dawson said.

About a fourth of the data does not have a county of residence for the person being tested.

But based on the incomplete data available, currently about 15% of Benton County residents being tested receive positive results and about 26% of Franklin County residents, he said.

The increase in cases comes as both Benton and Franklin counties submitted applications to the Washington state Department of Health this week to reopen more businesses and allow gatherings of up to five non-household members.

Counties in Phase 1

Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties are the only counties among the 39 in the state not yet approved for a modified Phase 1, Phase 2 or Phase 3 reopening.

Each phase removes restrictions on gatherings and the types of businesses that can reopen at partial or full capacity.

The very earliest that the state might make a decision for Benton or Franklin counties could be late Friday, but decisions are more likely to come next week.

Among targets that the state will consider is the number of new cases based on population. For Benton County that is no more than 50 cases over two weeks and for Franklin County no more than 24 cases.

However, the state will consider other information that shows the counties have a plan to get cases under control and have adequate health care equipment and hospital capacity to care for COVID-19 patients.

Should the county be approved for Phase 2, residents will have to be diligent in taking steps like wearing face coverings, social distancing and not having large gatherings, or it could be ordered by the state back to Phase 1, Dawson said.

That will mean no parties, sports tournaments or barbecues with more than five people in Phase 2, he said.

Face mask order

The district also would prefer from a healthcare standpoint that there not be large political protests, but at least public health officials have seen an improvement in the number of people wearing masks, he said.

Since Monday the local health district has ordered people in the two counties to wear face coverings in public when they may not be able to maintain six feet distance from non-household members.

“This is not a polite request. It is an actual order,” Dawson said.

The district started recommending people wear masks on April 3 and escalated that to an order as of June 8. However, there are no penalties for those who don’t wear masks.

Some people are exempt from the order, including those whose doctor say their health could be harmed by wearing a mask and children 2 and younger.

Wearing masks and other methods being used now to prevent the spread of the coronavirus are time-tested methods for outbreaks of infectious diseases with no vaccines available, Dawson said.

They date back to the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak. In many cities across the nation families were quarantined, masks were required in public, and theaters and public transportation were closed.

This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 2:02 PM.