Tri-Cities COVID deaths spike, outbreaks reported. CDC, local ratings mixed

Five more residents of the Tri-Cities area have died due to COVID-19, the most deaths reported in a week in almost four months by the Benton Franklin Health District.

The deaths were announced Thursday as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released improved COVID-19 community level ratings for the Tri-Cities area.

A week ago it rated the community level in Franklin County as “medium” and the community level in Benton County as “low,” but now rates both counties’ levels as “low.”

The data from the Benton Franklin Health District was less positive. It reported the highest new case rate since February.

Seven counties in Washington were rated by the CDC as having “high” COVID-19 community levels, down from 15 a week earlier. Thirteen counties were rated as “low” and 19 as “medium.”

Eastern Washington counties still rated as “high” included Walla Walla, Grant, Adams and Spokane counties. Umatilla County in Oregon, adjoining Benton County, Wash., also was rated as “high.”

Wearing masks in indoor public spaces is recommended for everyone when community levels are rated as “high.”

However, the Benton Franklin Health District encourages, but does not require, wearing masks due to the increasing rate of reported positive COVID-19 test results and confirmed new cases to protect oneself and loved ones.

The CDC rates counties based on the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospital beds used by patients with COVID and hospital admissions for people with the disease.

Across the nation 41% of counties have “low” community levels of COVID-19, down 4% in a week; 38% have “medium” levels, up almost 3%; and 21% have “high” levels, up 1%; according to the CDC.

Tri-Cities COVID cases

The Benton Franklin Health District rated the area transmission level — based on new cases and the percentage of positive test results but not hospitalization data — as “high” for both Benton and Franklin counties.

Benton County’s latest calculated new case rate was 164 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, up from 95 at the start of June and 45 at the start of May.

Franklin County’s latest calculated new case rate was 180 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, up from 86 at the start of June and 32 at the start of May.

Case rates do not include home test results and likely are low.

New and more contagious subvariants of the omicron strain of the coronavirus are making up an increasing percentage of COVID-19 cases in the state.

The Washington state Department of Health estimates that 45% of new cases in the state now are the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariant of the omicron coronavirus, up from 31% a week earlier, according to its most recent report.

The most recent data for the free drive-thru COVID-19 test site at Columbia Basin College showed 33% of tests for the virus are positive.

The number of people wanting tests at the site started to increase again in June, along with the percentage of positive results, according to the latest Unified Situation Report of the Benton Franklin Health District and the emergency management agencies for the two counties.

Tri-Cities COVID deaths

The five recent COVID-19 deaths reported in the Tri-Cities area were all Benton County residents.

Three women in their 60s, plus a man and a woman in their 90s, died of complications of COVID-19.

The Tri-Cities area has not had a week with as many death reported since March 10 when eight deaths were reported, according to Tri-City Herald records.

Recent deaths are reported by the Benton Franklin Health District once a week, usually on a Thursday.

The deaths reported July 7 put the Tri-Cities area on track to exceed Covid-19 deaths reported in recent months. Seven to nine deaths were reported each of the past three months.

COVID-19 deaths in the area now total 698, including 482 Benton County residents and 216 Franklin County residents.

In the Tri-Cities, local public health officials verify that 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.

It can take several weeks for the district to receive and reconcile death information due to the reporting processes of medical facilities and coroner offices and the process of issuing and releasing death certificates.

Statewide, 13,334 residents have died of complications of COVID since the start of the pandemic, including 69 in the past week, according to data from the Washington state Department of Health.

Tri-Cities outbreaks, hospital use

In June the Benton Franklin Health District responded to nine COVID-19 outbreaks in long term care facilities, such as nursing homes, and eight more were under investigation.

Nursing and adult family homes, such as those for dementia patients, have low rates of COVID-19 booster doses in the Tri-Cities area, which creates a significant risk for those living there, according to the bicounty situation report.

The health district has been working with the facilities to increase booster shots for residents and staff.

Just 47.3% of people eligible for a booster have received one in Benton and Franklin counties, which is about 10 percentage points lower than statewide.

In addition, the situation report listed one business outbreak, with another under investigation, and one outbreak in a health care setting, with another under investigation.

Hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 started to rise about a month ago, but not as sharply as during the winter spike in COVID-19 cases, the situation report said.

“Hospitals are also reporting a significant increase in behavioral health needs that were delayed due to the pandemic or have been exacerbated by the pandemic,” the situation report said. “These increased stressors are reducing overall available beds.”

Hospitals also continue to have employees off work because they have COVID-19.