New COVID cases in Tri-Cities drop again, with just 30 hospitalized patients

The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 dropped to 26 in the Tri-Cities area on Wednesday.

No new deaths from the disease were reported and the number of patients hospitalized remained at a level lower than reported for several months.

The new cases included 14 in Benton County and 12 in Franklin County, continuing the decline in total new cases of more than 50% since early July.

The cases reported on Wednesday put the rolling two-week total of cases in Benton County at 255, down from 393 cases the previous 14 days.

The two-week total for Franklin County is 266 new cases, down from 395 for the previous two-week period.

At the peak of the pandemic to date in the Tri-Cities, more than 200 cases for the two counties combined were reported by the Benton Franklin Health District on a few days.

Local public health, city and county officials have used the decline in cases to help convince the Washington state Department of Health to allow increased activity in the Tri-Cities starting Thursday, Aug. 27, including limited indoor seating at restaurants and some bars, small gatherings of nonhousehold groups, outdoor fitness classes and more.

Public health officials remain hopeful that if the decline in new cases continues, public schools in Benton County and possibly Franklin County can resume some limited in-person classes this fall.

The state has set a population-based goal of 150 new cases over two weeks in Benton County and about 72 new cases over two weeks in Franklin County to start offering some in-person classes.

Franklin County has a little less than half the population of Benton County.

Hospitalizations

The number of people hospitalized locally for treatment of COVID-19 remained at 30 for the second day in row.

At the start of July, 89 people were being treated in Benton and Franklin hospitals for COVID-19, up from as few as 28 on April 27.

The 30 COVID patients accounted for just under 9% of all patients at hospitals in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser — the lowest percentage reported since at least mid April.

Deaths since the start of the pandemic remain at 156, including 45 in Franklin County and 111 in Benton County.

Total confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic topped 4,000 this week in Benton County.

On Wednesday, Benton County had seen 4,037 cases and Franklin County had seen 3,863, for a bicounty total of 7,900 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Washington state

The Washington State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 334 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths.

Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 71,705 cases and 1,876 deaths, up from 71,371 cases and 1,867 deaths Monday.

King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 18,837 cases and 715 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 10,843 cases and 237 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 6,585.

All counties in Washington have cases. Garfield and Wahkiakum have case counts of fewer than 10.

On Tuesday, Washington had a 947-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 1,744, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,081. Vermont is lowest at 250.

There had been nearly 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 178,326 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Tuesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 815,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.

Craig Sailor of The (Tacoma) News Tribune contributed to this report.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 1:45 PM.