Franklin County has highest COVID rate in 4 Western states. Benton County 2nd in WA
Franklin County now has a higher daily COVID-19 rate of new cases than any other county in Washington, Oregon, California or Idaho.
Along the West Coast, Alaska has one county with a slightly higher new case rate on average over the past seven days, according to data compiled by the Brown University School of Public Health.
Benton County is not doing much better, ranking second highest in Washington for new daily COVID cases, with only one Oregon county, one California county and three Alaska counties ranking higher.
Its rate is higher than any Idaho county.
The number of people hospitalized locally for COVID-19 continues to climb, matching the previous high during the past 12 months, based on Tri-City Herald records.
The local health district reported 74 people were hospitalized in Benton and Franklin counties for COVID-19 treatment as of Tuesday.
That matches the previous high COVID-19 patient count reached in the last 12 months in late December. The local health district did not release the number of hospitalized patients early in the pandemic.
The 74 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment Tuesday accounted for nearly 20% of the 380 patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals.
Hospital officials and doctors are urging Tri-Cities area residents to be vaccinated, saying almost all COVID-19 patients they are treating in hospitals have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the Benton Franklin Health District reported that Benton and Franklin counties had 628 new confirmed cases over the past four days.
That comes to 157 new cases per day, which is just above the average of 152 new cases per day the previous two weeks combined and 86 the week before that.
Tri-Cities case rates
The two-week new case rate per 100,000 people, as tracked by the Benton Franklin Health District, now exceeds 600 in Benton and 700 Franklin counties.
On Tuesday, the Benton Franklin Health District said Benton County had a case rate of 667 new cases per 100,000 in two weeks and Franklin County had 723 new cases per 100,000 in two weeks.
In May, Benton and Franklin counties were working to get their case rates below 200, a previous target set by Gov. Jay Inslee for reopening businesses during the pandemic. Businesses are now open with limited restrictions.
For the average number of new cases the past seven days per 100,000 people, Franklin County has a rate of 99, Benton County has a rate of 88 and King County, the most populous in the state has a rate of 30, according to the Brown University School of Public Health.
In Oregon, Morrow County, which shares the state line with Benton County, has a case rate of 90. California’s highest county case rate is 96, Alaska’s highest county case rate is 100 and Idaho’s is 50.
Tri-Cities vaccinations
The Tri-Cities area has a long way to go to catch up with statewide COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Franklin County lags the state by 19 to 20 percentage points and Benton County lags the state by 13 to 14 percentage points.
Statewide 53% of all people are vaccinated and not required to wear masks in public places, although it is recommended even for vaccinated people.
Of those eligible to be vaccinated, those 12 and older, 62% are fully vaccinated.
That compares to 40% of all Benton County residents who are fully vaccinated and 48% of those 12 and older.
In Franklin County just 33% of residents are fully vaccinated, with 42% of those 12 and older vaccinated.
Free COVID-19 vaccine is widely available in the Tri-Cities area at clinics, doctor’s offices and pharmacies, with many pharmacies giving the vaccine to walk-ins.
Go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov for more information.
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 1:15 PM.