Tri-Cities area COVID cases top 27,000 after jump in new cases over the weekend
The Tri-Cities has 116 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Benton Franklin Health District said on Monday.
It pushes the total confirmed cases in the Tri-Cities area since the start of the pandemic to more than 27,000.
They came to an average of 39 per day since case numbers were last reported on Friday by the local health district.
It puts the average number of new daily cases for the first report this week above the average daily cases last week of 34 and the week before of 37.
The previous Monday the local health district reported 62 new cases or about 31 each day for the weekend.
The two-week case rate appeared to meet the state standards for both Benton and Franklin counties to stay in Phase 3 of reopening.
The Washington state Department of Health was expected to announce Monday afternoon whether any of the state’s 39 counties failed to meet new case rate and COVID patient hospital admission standards to remain in Phase 3.
Franklin County’s two-week case rate as reported by the Benton Franklin Health District was 172 new cases per 100,000 people for the two weeks ending April 5.
Benton County’s two-week case rate as reported by the Benton Franklin Health District was 147 new cases per 100,000 people for the same two weeks.
The state standard is fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, but it was unclear which 14 days the state will consider for all counties in the state.
The 116 new cases reported in the Tri-Cities area on Monday included 67 in Benton County and 49 in Franklin County.
They bring total cases confirmed through positive test results since the start of the pandemic to 15,486 for Benton County and 11,520 for Franklin County. The bicounty total is 27,006.
The number of patients hospitalized locally for treatment of COVID-19 remained at 18, as reported Monday, unchanged from Friday.
They accounted for 4.5% of the 396 patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.
The year started with 62 patients being treated for COVID in local hospitals, but by March 1 that had dropped to 22 patients.
A total of 308 Tri-Cities area deaths due to complications of COVID-19 have been reported since the start of the pandemic, including 208 residents of Benton County and 100 of Franklin County.
The most recent person to die was a Franklin County man in his 70s. On Monday, the Benton Franklin County Health District corrected its Friday report which said it was a woman who died.
The local health district reports COVID deaths weekly.
Lots of COVID vaccine
The Tri-Cities fairgrounds drive-thru COVID clinic still had more than 4,800 of 8,000 vaccine appointments for the week open as of Monday afternoon, including about 70 appointments for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Most doses available are Pfizer vaccine, which requires a booster shot three weeks later for full effectiveness.
Starting Thursday all Washington state residents ages 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine.
To make an appointment go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov and click on “Find a Clinic.” On the next page scroll down and check all pages for open appointments at the Benton County Fairgrounds listed separately for each day.
Or go to the Benton Franklin Health District Facebook page for direct links to appointments offered each day for both brands of vaccine.
An appointment also may be made by calling the Washington state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 800-525-0127, which can provide help in multiple languages.
If there are open appointments, people seeking a vaccine may receive help registering on site.
Washington state also maintains a list of additional places with open appointments at vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.
Places with vaccine appointments available within 50 miles will be shown when you enter your zip code.