Tri-Cities COVID outbreaks growing. Fair cases investigated as hospitals hit new high

Tri-Cities area hospitals hit a new record Monday for the number of patients they were treating for COVID-19 and outbreaks are climbing in nursing homes and elsewhere.

Area hospitals reported 127 COVID patients, up from 118 on Friday.

They accounted for 32% of all patients at the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospitals, all of which have reported being already stressed from dealing with large numbers of COVID patients.

Over the past three days, the number of new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the Tri-Cities jumped to an average of 223 per day, up from an average of 204 cases per day just after the Labor Day weekend.

As the number of new COVID cases has increased, more outbreaks are being reported in the Tri-Cities area, including increases in business and long-term care facilities outbreaks.

The Benton Franklin Health District had not linked any COVID cases to the Benton Franklin County Fair the last week of August, as of late last week.

But 15 cases in residents of Benton and Franklin county residents and three more cases in residents of other counties were being investigated as linked to the fair.

County health officials rely on people reporting where they have been to track outbreaks, and people may not always report any potentially risky behavior, according to public health officials.

In addition, the Benton Franklin Health District reported it was investigating 19 business outbreaks just after the start of September, with 16 other potential outbreaks under investigation.

That is up from four business outbreaks about two months ago, with four potential outbreaks under investigation.

The health district reported that as of the end of July business outbreaks were most common in agriculture and produce packing jobs, including employer-provided housing, with 46 outbreaks reported since the start of the pandemic.

That was followed with 39 outbreaks in restaurant and other food service industries, 34 in government agencies and 30 in retail businesses.

Nursing home outbreaks

Particularly worrisome for public health officials is a spike in cases in staff and residents of long-term care centers for the elderly, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, memory care centers and some retirement homes.

“We have seen a big jump,” which matches the increase in new cases in Benton and Franklin counties, said Erin Hockaday, COVID-19 program manager for the Benton Franklin Health District.

In the last 30 days, 58 cases have been reported in staff and residents of long-term care facilities, according to data from the health district based in the Tri-Cities. The two months before that there were only 17 cases reported.

The health district reports 10 active outbreaks in long-term care homes with nine more under investigation.

Of the case over the last 30 days, about half have been in residents, most of them vaccinated, and the other half in staff, Hockaday said.

Those with compromised immune systems and possible those who are older or have underlying health conditions — which includes most residents of long-term care facilities — may not have as strong an immune response to the vaccine as others.

“It is important for people who are healthy and eligible to be vaccinated,” Hockaday said.

That reduces the chance that the coronavirus will be brought into long-term care facilities to infect the communities’ most vulnerable residents.

In a long-term care setting, just one resident ill with COVID-19 is considered an outbreak because most do not leave the facility. At least one staff member who is believed to have been infected by another staff member also is classified as an outbreak.

Many of the recent outbreaks have been with just one or two people in a facility, but there was an incident of 23 people in a single facility, she said.

However, early in the pandemic when there was no vaccine available there were outbreaks in the triple digits, she said.

In the state of Washington all workers in long-term care facilities will be required to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 18.

During outbreaks, long-term care facilities are required to restrict new admissions and limiting visitors is recommended, with an exception for end-of-life residents. Facilities also must test all staff and visitors over 14 days.

Tri-Cities cases

The Benton Franklin Health District reported 668 new confirmed cases on Monday for the past three days.

It was an average of 223 cases per day.

Benton County had 434 new cases, bringing its total to 25,000 cases since the start of the pandemic. Franklin County had 234 new cases for a total of 16,602.

The new case rate for both counties has generally plateaued in recent weeks, with new Benton County cases down overall but Franklin County cases still increasing since the start of the summer.

Benton County had 930 new cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, as reported Monday. That is still above its winter peak.

Franklin County had 1,167 new cases per 100,000 over two weeks. It is still below, but approaching, its winter peak in cases.

Public health officials attribute high new case rates to not enough eligible people being vaccinated in Benton and Franklin counties and the dominance of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

The Benton Franklin Health District also has recommended canceling large public events.

This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 1:07 PM.