Soaring Tri-Cities COVID cases reach levels not seen in months

The known number of new local COVID-19 cases jumped again on Monday, with 351 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported for the past three days for the Tri-Cities area.

That’s an average of 117 cases per day, bringing total cases since the start of the pandemic in Benton and Franklin counties to more than 11,000.

New cases are up across the state, with Washington setting another record for most cases reported in a day on Saturday.

New cases in Benton and Franklin counties have not routinely totaled more than 100 a day since late July and early August.

The 117 average cases per day reported Monday compares to an average of 82 new cases per day last week. They totaled 51 a day the week before and 42 a day the week ending Oct. 23. Local cases are reported on a weekly schedule from the weekend through Friday.

It also is much higher than the number reported for the past two weekends through Monday. On the weekend that started Oct. 31 cases averaged 81 per day and the weekend before that cases averaged 69 per day.

“What is different about this compared to the summer is it is not large outbreaks from a single site, but so many gatherings — Halloween parties, golf outings, weddings, all of these gatherings (and) lots and lots of cases,” Dr. Amy Person, health officer for the two counties, said in an interview about the coronavirus for the Columbia Basin Badger Club and the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance.

People spending more time indoors as the weather gets colder is a “huge risk factor for increased spread,” she said.

It is even more important now that residents wear face coverings and maintain six feet of distance from nonhousehold members, she said.

The new cases reported on Monday include 241 in Benton County and 110 in Franklin County, for a total of 5,936 cases since the start of the pandemic in Benton County and 5,171 in Franklin County.

Cases for both counties now total 11,107, according to the Benton Franklin Health District.

It does not keep track of how many of the cases remain active.

Tri-Cities case rate

The most recent case rates per 100,000 residents are 332 cases over the two weeks ending Nov. 2 for Franklin County and 289 for Benton County.

The state set a rate of 75 per 100,000 people over two weeks as high risk for school reopening.

But the Benton Franklin health officer, Dr. Amy Person, says some schools nationally and internationally have shown that they can reopen with higher new area case rates with limited in-school transmission if strict safety protocols are followed.

Hospitalizations

No new deaths were announced on Monday, leaving the total for the Tri-Cities area at 191, including 128 residents of Benton County and 63 of Franklin County.

The number of people hospitalized locally for treatment of COVID — or suspected COVID with test results pending — was 36 on Monday, up from 27 on Friday.

COVID patient numbers for all Benton and Franklin County hospitals have mostly been in the 30s over the last week and a half.

The 36 COVID patients on Monday accounted for almost 11% of all patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.

About 13% of COVID tests from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 were positive in Benton County, with about 15% of tests positive in Franklin County.

The drive-thru COVID testing sites at the HAPO Center in Pasco and near the Columbia Basin College will be closed on Wednesday for Veterans Day.

Other testing sites in the area are posted at bfhd.wa.gov/covid19.

Washington state

The Washington state Department of Health on Sunday reported 1,320 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, in addition to the 1,770 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported on Saturday.

The cases reported Saturday were the highest single-day total since the pandemic began, surpassing the previous high of 1,691, which was set Friday.

Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 117,331 cases and 2,439 deaths, up from 116,011 cases on Saturday.

King County continues to have the highest number of cases in Washington, with 30,854 cases and 822 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 12,203 cases and 280 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 11,563 and 234 deaths.

Benton and Franklin rank sixth and seventh for cases, following Spokane and Snohomish. If Benton and Franklin counties were considered together, they would rank fourth.

All counties in Washington have cases, including eight counties with fewer than 100 cases.

Lauren Kirschman of The (Tacoma) News Tribune contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 1:55 PM.