COVID cases growing, as state considers if Tri-Cities can stay in Phase 3

Both Benton and Franklin county new case rates were exceeding Washington state standards on Monday, a day before state officials are expected to announce whether the counties remain in Phase 3.

Benton and Franklin must meet at least one of two metrics to avoid slipping to Phase 2 of reopening. Officials are looking at the number of new cases and new COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals, which are both indications of how well the counties are controlling the spread of the coronavirus..

If a county is ordered back to Phase 2, indoor occupancy at restaurants, retail stores, gyms and worship services could be restricted by half, from 50% to 25%

Any change in phases is expected to take effect on Saturday.

“We are seeing a sharp increase in cases and, unfortunately, in hospitalizations,” said Dr. Amy Person, health officer for Benton and Franklin counties, last week in a weekly conversation with the Benton Franklin County Health Alliance.

Benton County had 212 new cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, down one from the rate at the end of last week, according to calculations from the Benton Franklin Health District.

Franklin County had 318 new cases per 100,000 over two weeks, up seven from the rate last week, according to the local health department.

The state standard for new COVID cases is fewer than 200 per 100,000 people over two weeks.

The COVID hospitalization standard to remain in Phase 3 of reopening is fewer than about 10 new COVID hospital patients admitted in a week for Benton County and fewer than about five for Franklin County.

The Benton Franklin Health District does not routinely report data for new admissions, but the number of COVID patients being treated in local hospitals is up from as few as eight on one day in April to 26 at the end of last week.

On Monday the local health district reported 25 patients in local hospitals being treated for COVID-19.

They accounted for 6.5% of the 387 patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.

“We are seeing more hospitalizations in younger adults, middle age adults, because they are the people who are getting sick,” said Dr. Person. “The good news is where we are not seeing cases is in our older adults because they have been vaccinated and that vaccination is protecting them from that fourth wave.”

Tri-Cities COVID cases

The Tri-Cities has 112 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Benton Franklin Health District said Monday.

That number, which includes the weekend, comes to an average of 37 new cases per day, down from the 45 announced after the previous weekend.

Last week new cases in the Tri-Cities area averaged 52 per day, just below the average of 54 new cases a day the previous week.

The number of new cases reported by the Benton Franklin Health District tends to rise through the work week as more test results are reported.

The 112 new cases reported on Monday include 69 in Benton County and 43 in Franklin County.

They bring total cases confirmed with positive test results since the start of the pandemic to more than 28,000 in the Tri-Cities area.

There have 16,120 cases reported in Benton County and 11,930 in Franklin County for a total of 28,073.

Since the start of the pandemic 318 Tri-Cities area residents who have died, including 214 residents of Benton County and 104 of Franklin County.

This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 12:55 PM.