A closer look at who in Tri-Cities is testing COVID positive

Those most likely to have had a case of COVID-19 in the Tri-Cities live in Pasco, are young adults and are Hispanic, according to data from the Benton Franklin Health District.

As of Friday, Pasco has had 3,711 cases, which was more than Kennewick and Richland combined.

However, its rate of 49 cases per 1,000 people is less than some smaller towns in the region.

In Mesa, a community of about 500 people in north Franklin County, nearly one in five people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Prosser and Connell also have higher rates, with both at 65 cases for every 1,000 people, according to data from the local health district.

Kennewick has had 31 cases per 1,000 and Richland had 17 per 1,000. West Richland’s rate is just 15 per 1,000 people.

All the rates are higher than they were in mid-August.

And communities with many agricultural and food processing workers, who have kept reporting to work through the pandemic, have had higher rates.

Connell also has the Coyote Ridge Correctional Center, where 233 prisoners have had COVID-19 and two have died.

Cases by ethnicity

Cases also continue to be higher in the Hispanic population than in other ethnic groups, at least in those cases for which ethnicity was reported.

Of the 5,590 cases reported in Benton and Franklin counties where the person’s race or ethnicity was known, 3,846 have been in Hispanics, compared to 1,459 in non-Hispanic white people, say health officials

Other races and ethnicities, including Asian, Black, Native American and people who listed more than one ethnicity, accounted for 285 cases.

The Washington State Department of Health reports that for the 68% of coronavirus cases statewide in which ethnicity has been reported, 41% of cases have been in Hispanics. Just 13% of people in the state are Hispanic.

That compares to 39% of known cases in whites, who make up 68% of the population.

Cases by age

By age, those most likely to have had COVID in the Tri-Cities are people in their 20s.

They account for 23% of all cases confirmed in Benton and Franklin County. Those in their 30s account for 19% of cases.

Data also shows that significant numbers of children and teens have been infected.

Some 1,152 cases have been confirmed in people younger than 20, making up 13% of all cases in the two counties.

People in their 40s account for 16% and people in their 50s make up 14% of the cases.

Those with increased risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 — people in their 60s and older — are less likely to have had the disease, according to data showing positive test results.

Just 8% of confirmed cases are in people in their 60s, and just 7% of confirmed cases are in people in their 70s and older.

COVID by city

Here’s the breakdown of cases by city, with rates based on U.S. Census population estimates for 2019, the most recent available:

▪ Pasco has had 3,711 cases since the start of the pandemic for a rate of 49 cases per 1,000.

That’s up from a rate of 42 per 1,000 in mid-August, with 517 more confirmed cases since then.

In the Tri-Cities, Pasco has the most residents in the food processing and agricultural industries, which have continued to stay open during the pandemic.

▪ Kennewick, the largest of the Tri-Cities, has had 2,618 confirmed cases for a rate of 31 per 1,000.

That’s up from a rate of 26 per 1,000 in mid-August, or 385 more cases confirmed.

▪ Richland, which has fewer people than Pasco or Kennewick, has had 981 confirmed cases for a rate of 17 per 1,000 people.

In mid-August its rate was 13 per 1,000. Richland has had 199 more cases reported in a month.

▪ West Richland has had just 225 cases since the pandemic began for a rate of 15 cases per 1,000.

Since mid-August, when its rate was 13 per 1,000, it has had 26 more cases.

COVID in outlying towns

▪ Prosser has had 412 cases for a rate of 65 per 1,000.

That is up from a rate of 57 per 1,000 in mid-August.

▪ Connell has had 363 cases, including inmates in the state prison there, for a rate of 65 per 1,000 people.

That is up from a rate of 51 per 1,000 reported in mid-August.

▪ Benton City has had 160 cases for a rate of 46 cases per 1,000. It has had 22 more residents diagnosed since mid-August.

▪ Mesa has had 16 more cases confirmed since mid-August for a total of 101 cases and a rate of 197 cases per 1,000.

▪ Eltopia has had 52 cases, up four since mid-August, and Plymouth has had one more case for a total of 17. Kahlotus and Paterson have each had fewer than 10 cases.

This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 2:29 PM.