Number of new COVID cases in Tri-Cities still rated as high risk by state officials

New Tri-Cities area COVID-19 cases increased to 39 on Thursday, after an average of 33 a day for the past five days.

No new deaths from the disease were reported, and the number of people hospitalized locally for COVID-19 treatment was below 20 for a second day in a row.

The confirmed new case rate for Benton County was 92 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Washington state Department of Health.

The cases were recorded in the two weeks ending Sept. 19, the latest date for which the state believes most cases have been reported.

The confirmed case rate will be rising, at least in the short term.

There have been 104 cases per 100,000 reported for the two weeks through Sept. 27, with more cases likely to be added before the new rate is confirmed for those two weeks.

In Franklin County, there have been 154 cases per 100,000 for the week ending Sept. 19. The unconfirmed rate for the two weeks through Sept. 27 is 177 cases per 100,000.

The Washington state Department of Health has set a goal of fewer than 75 cases per 100,000 over two weeks for schools to move to a hybrid learning model of part in-class and part at-home classes. It considers that a moderate risk rate of new cases.

Dr. Amy Person, the health officer for Benton and Franklin counties, in September recommended that schools partially reopen in October when the case rate was steadily dropping toward 75 cases per 100,000.

She says now she still would feel comfortable with her recommendation if the rates are in the 90 to 100 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks. The state considers that a high risk rate of new cases.

Hospitalizations, deaths

Since the pandemic started, 170 residents of Benton and Franklin counties have died, including 117 from Benton County and 53 from Franklin County.

There were 23 new infections reported by the Benton Franklin Health District Thursday in Benton County for a total of 4,607 there since the start of the pandemic. Sixteen cases were reported in Franklin County for a total of 4,348.

The number of people hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 on Thursday remained the same as Wednesday at 19.

One month ago 33 people were hospitalized locally, and earlier this summer there were as many as 89 patients hospitalized in Benton and Franklin counties.

The 19 people being treated for COVID on Thursday at local hospitals accounted for less than 6% of patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.

Washington state

The Washington state Department of Health reported Wednesday 480 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths

Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 87,522 cases and 2,126 deaths, up from 87,042 cases and 2,124 deaths Tuesday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.

Thirty people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Sept. 11, the most recent date with complete data. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.

King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 22,367 cases and 761 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,431 cases and 262 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 8,064 and 207 deaths.

Benton and Franklin rank sixth and seventh for cases, after Snohomish and Spokane counties.

All counties in Washington have cases. Ten counties have case counts of fewer than 100.

On Wednesday, Washington had a 1,155-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 2,166, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,580. Vermont is lowest at 279.

There had been more than 7.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 206,825 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation, although some other countries have a higher rate based on population. More than 1 million people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 33 million.

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

This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 1:49 PM.