New coronavirus cases increased 3.7% in Washington state in the week ending Sunday as the state added 7,502 cases. The previous week had 7,234 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Washington state ranked 33rd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.6% from the week before, with 401,433 cases reported. With 2.29% of the country’s population, Washington had 1.87% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 17 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Johns Hopkins University has been getting Washington state cases on an erratic schedule, which can significantly skew week-to-week comparisons.
Kitsap County reported 243 cases and five deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 179 cases. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 48,752 cases and 389 deaths.
Mason County reported 61 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 58 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 14,677 cases and 162 deaths.
Within Washington state, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Garfield County with 225 cases per 100,000 per week; Pacific County with 196; and Columbia County with 151. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were King County, with 2,404 cases; Snohomish County, with 834 cases; and Pierce County, with 779. Weekly case counts rose in 20 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Spokane, King and Kitsap counties.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Across Washington state, cases fell in 18 counties, with the best declines in Pierce County, with 779 cases from 853 a week earlier; in Benton County, with 200 cases from 262; and in Yakima County, with 206 cases from 251.
In Washington state, 75 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 77 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,808,301 people in Washington state have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 14,274 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,070,980 people have tested positive and 1,056,416 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Washington’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Sept. 25. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 632
- The week before that: 529
- Four weeks ago: 1,058
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 55,707
- The week before that: 55,506
- Four weeks ago: 64,244
Hospitals in 13 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 20 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 25 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
