COVID cases soaring throughout Tri-Cities a week ahead of WA reopening review

The Tri-Cities has 136 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 as new case rates continue to rise ahead of the next state check for business reopening.

The growing number of cases comes as demand for the COVID vaccine, at least at the drive-thru vaccination site at the fairgrounds in Kennewick, is dropping.

The new case numbers reported Monday were for three days and averaged 45 per day.

That compares to an average of 54 new cases per day during last week. And that was higher than the 48 and 34 new cases per day reported the previous two weeks.

The two week case rate continues to be 50% higher in Franklin County than the limit set by the Washington state Department of Health of less than 200 cases per 100,000 people.

Franklin County had a new case rate of 301 cases per 100,000 over two weeks, as calculated Monday by the Benton Franklin Health District.

Benton County is coming close to the limit.

Benton County had a new case rate of 196 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, as calculated Monday by the Benton Franklin Health District.

Next Monday the Washington state Department of Health will assess whether Benton and Franklin counties are containing the spread of the coronavirus adequately to remain in Phase 3 of reopening, based both on the rate of new COVID hospital admissions and new case rates.

The total number of local hospital patients being treated for COVID-19 increased on Monday to 24, up from 16 a week ago.

The 24 COVID patients Monday accounted for 6.3% of the 379 patients at the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.

The new cases reported community wide on Monday included 72 in Benton County and 64 in Franklin County, which has about half as many people.

They bring total cases confirmed with positive test results since the start of the pandemic to 27,736.

They include 15,913 cases in Benton County and 11,823 in Franklin County.

COVID vaccine

The first full week that all Washington residents 16 or older were eligible to be vaccinated ended with demand for the free vaccine down at the Tri-Cities fairgrounds.

The site administered 4,300 shots, which was down about 2,500 from the week before when it gave 6,836 shots.

The Benton County Fairgrounds site has administered more than 68,000 shots since the free drive-thru clinic in Kennewick opened Jan. 25.

The week before the site gave 6,836 shots.

The drive-thru clinic will be open this week 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Appointments are recommended for efficient operation of the site and to make sure enough doses of the vaccine are prepared, but people may also stop by the fairgrounds at South Oak and East 10th Avenue and see if there is vaccine available.

To make an appointment, go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov and click on “Find a Clinic.” On the next page do not fill out the top part of the page, but scroll down and check each page to find appointments at the fairgrounds listed by date.

Another way to schedule a fairgrounds appointment is to go the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team Facebook page where appointment links at the fairgrounds are given for each day this week.

The vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov also gives information on signing up for appointments at pharmacies and medical clinics. Enter a zip code and it lists places with open appointments within 50 miles.

Monday it showed 30 pharmacies and clinics with open COVID-19 appointments.

This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 12:49 PM.