More Tri-Cities deaths from COVID reported. Mostly unvaccinated people dying
Four more people have died of COVID-19 in the Tri-Cities area, the Benton Franklin Health District announced Friday.
The most recent deaths were all men who lived in Benton County. Three were in their 70s and one was in his 60s.
They bring the total Tri-Cities area deaths due to COVID-19 announced so far this month to seven, all men.
In July, 10 Tri-Cities area residents died from COVID, with 12 deaths in June and nine in May. The local health district announces recent deaths once a week, on Fridays.
Since the start of the pandemic, 356 Tri-Cities area residents have died from the coronavirus, including 234 Benton County residents and 118 Franklin County residents.
They include 140 people who were 80 or older; 99 in their 70s; and 72 in their 60s.
Also, there have been deaths of 28 people in their 50s; 12 in their 40s; two in their 30s; one in their 20s; and two people younger than 20.
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, 6,215 deaths due to the coronavirus have been reported since the start of the pandemic, including 60 deaths in the past week.
Of the people who have died statewide, just 66 were known to be vaccinated against COVID, including one resident of the Tri-Cities area. At least 31 of those lived in long-term care facilities for the elderly, according to the latest state report issued Aug. 11 on vaccination breakthrough cases.
A total of 5,879 Washington residents who were fully vaccinated later developed “breakthrough” cases of COVID, according to the report. However, symptoms for vaccinated people are usually much milder than for those who have not been vaccinated.
In Benton and Franklin counties, about 4% to 5% of current cases appear to be in fully vaccinated people, according to the Benton Franklin Health District.