1 in 5 Tri-Cities deaths last year linked to COVID. More victims reported this week

Three more Tri-Cities area residents have died of complications of COVID-19, all in their 50s and 60s, the Benton Franklin Health District announced on Friday.

They bring the total deaths reported so far this month to nine, already matching the number of COVID deaths in May.

There were 12 deaths in April and 18 in March. The local health district announces recent deaths once a week, on Fridays.

The most recent deaths announced were all Benton County residents and included a man in his 50s and a man and a woman in their 60s.

Since the start of the pandemic, 336 Tri-Citians have died, including 224 Benton County residents and 112 Franklin County residents.

Deaths include 136 people who were 80 or older; 92 in their 70s; 66 in their 60s; 27 in their 50s; 11 in their 40s; one each in their 30s and 20s; and two people younger than 20.

Last year about one in five deaths in Benton and Franklin counties was due to COVID-19, said Dr. Amy Person, the health officer for the two counties at a Benton Franklin Health District Board meeting this week.

Local public health officials verify that the deaths are due to COVID complications by checking for a positive test result and that a coronavirus infection was named as a primary cause of death on the death certificate.

In all of Washington state 5,810 deaths due to the coronavirus have been reported since the start of the pandemic through Thursday.