COVID hospitalizations mount in Tri-Cities area with rise in new cases

Another person has died of COVID-19 in the Tri-Cities area as the number of new daily cases and hospitalized patients climbed this past week, the Benton Franklin Health District announced Friday.

The recent death brings total deaths so far this month due to infection with the coronavirus to seven.

There were 12 deaths reported in June and nine in May. The local health district announces recent deaths once a week, on Fridays.

The most recent death was a Benton County man in his 80s.

Tri-Cities area COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic include 138 people who were 80 or older; 95 in their 70s; 70 in their 60s.

Also, there have been 28 people in their 50s; 11 in their 40s; one each in their 30s and 20s; and two people younger than 20.

Since the start of the pandemic, 346 Tri-Cities area residents have died from the coronavirus, including 230 Benton County residents and 116 Franklin County residents.

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, 6,036 deaths due to the coronavirus have been reported since the start of the pandemic through Thursday.

Of the people who have died statewide, just 45 were known to be vaccinated against COVID and at least 27 of those lived in long-term care facilities for the elderly, according to the latest state report issued July 14 on vaccination breakthrough cases.

Tri-Cities COVID cases

The average number of daily new cases in the Tri-Cities over the past week jumped to 59.

Last week new cases averaged 46 a day, up from 32 and 31 new cases the two previous weeks.

The Benton Franklin Health District says that the Delta variant of the coronavirus, first seen in India, appears to be the predominant strain in the Tri-Cities currently.

The strain is much more easily transmitted by an infected person to a healthy person than the original strain of the coronavirus, contributing to the jump in new cases.

Some of the recent increase also could be driven by family and large gatherings on the July 4 holiday weekend.

On Thursday, the local health district reported 88 new confirmed COVID cases.

That dropped to 32 new cases reported on Friday, with the number possibly down because fewer test results may be available on Fridays. The free drive-thru testing site is no longer open seven days a week, closing on Wednesdays and Thursday.

The rate of increase in new cases has climbed fastest in Benton County, which had 201 new cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, according to the most recent case rate calculated by the Benton Franklin Health District.

Benton County has not seen a two-week new case rate that high since early May.

Franklin County has a case rate of 181 new cases per 100,000 over two weeks, the local health district reported on Friday.

As of the last weekly report of the local health district on Tuesday, there were five outbreaks in businesses and one in a long-term care facility for the elderly.

However, public health officials were investigating 13 additional potential outbreaks. They included nine in businesses, one in a long-term care facility, two in child care centers and one in a school.

More hospital patients

The number of people hospitalized locally for treatment of COVID-19 increased to 38, as reported Friday.

It’s the highest count on record since mid February.

The 38 people being treated for COVID-19 at the end of the week accounted for nearly 10% of the 398 patients at the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.

The Yakima Health District also reported a sharp increase in COVID-19 hospital patients, with 15 people admitted for COVID-19 treatment from July 8-14.

It said that an average 96% of those hospitalized in Yakima County over the last three months were not vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Statewide as of Wednesday, 319 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment and 34 were on ventilators.

The total number of Tri-Cities area people with cases of COVID-19 confirmed with positive test results since the start of the pandemic stands at 30, 538, including 17,748 cases in Benton County and 12,790 cases in Franklin County.

Across Washington state 459,306 people have had cases of COVID-19 confirmed.

Tri-Cities vaccination progress

Progress toward getting people vaccinated in the Tri-Cities area has slowed, according to public health officials.

Vaccination rates continue to be much lower than for all of the state of Washington.

In Franklin County, vaccination rates are 20 to 22 percentage points behind the state as a whole and in Benton County they are 12 to 14 percentage points behind.

In Washington state 56% of all people have had at least an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That falls to 43% in Benton County and 35% in Franklin County.

Percentages for those fully vaccinated are 51% statewide, 39% in Benton County and 31% in Franklin County.

Of those eligible to be vaccinated — ages 12 and older — 66% statewide have had at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to 52% in Benton County and 44% in Franklin County.

State data available through July 12 on vaccination rates does not include some vaccinations done through federal programs, including the Veterans Administration.

This story was originally published July 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.