New coronavirus cases were up in Washington state in the week ending Sunday, rising 13.9% as 7,234 cases were reported. The previous week had 6,353 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. Meantime, hospitalizations continue to plummet in the state.
Washington state ranked 35th 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 7.7% from the week before, with 436,694 cases reported. With 2.29% of the country’s population, Washington state had 1.66% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 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 179 cases in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 184 cases. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 48,509 cases and 384 deaths.
Mason County reported 58 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 46 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 14,616 cases and 160 deaths.
Within Washington state, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Grant County with 155 cases per 100,000 per week; Lincoln County with 146; and Garfield County with 135. 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 2,296 cases; Snohomish County, with 857 cases; and Pierce County, with 853. Weekly case counts rose in 27 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Across Washington state, cases fell in 10 counties, with the best declines in Clark County, with 377 cases from 405 a week earlier; in Franklin County, with 111 cases from 131; and in Grant County, with 151 cases from 168.
In Washington state, 77 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 56 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,800,799 people in Washington have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 14,199 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 95,658,236 people have tested positive and 1,053,419 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Washington’s COVID-19 hospital admissions falling
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Sept. 18. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 589
- The week before that: 657
- Four weeks ago: 1,047
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 57,618
- The week before that: 58,248
- Four weeks ago: 66,210
Hospitals in 15 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 14 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 22 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.
