Record numbers of new Tri-Cities COVID cases. A surge of sick patients, deaths feared

Record high numbers of new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Tri-Cities over the last week.

On Friday alone, 604 new cases were reported, including 365 in Benton County and 239 in Franklin County, by the Benton Franklin Health District.

It reported about 2,415 new cases for the past week, starting with the weekend, or an average of about 345 per day. Numbers are not exact because of combined daily counts over the holiday weekend.

A month ago the Tri-Cities-based health district was reporting an average of 25 new cases a day.

The highest new case rates continue to be in people ages 20 to 39 and the lowest in children younger than 5 and seniors 80 and older.

Fewer recent deaths have been reported, with just one death announced this week by the Benton Franklin Health District.

The health district attributes the surge in new cases to the spread of the omicron variant of the virus across Eastern Washington after an initial surge in the Seattle area.

The omicron variant is believed to cause milder cases, particularly in those fully vaccinated and with a COVID-19 booster.

But the large number of cases could mean a coming surge in hospitalizations to come for Eastern Washington and more deaths, according to public health officials.

The death announced this past week was a Benton County man in his 40s.

The Benton Franklin Health District reports recent deaths once a week, usually on Fridays.

In December, 22 deaths of Benton and Franklin residents were announced. In November, 17 COVID deaths were reported, down from 80 reported in October.

A total of 579 deaths of Benton and Franklin county residents has been attributed to complications of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

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.

Tri-Cities hospitals

The number of people hospitalized in the Tri-Cities area for COVID-19 increased from 31 on Monday to 44 on Thursday and then dropped to 41 on Friday.

As of Friday, 10% of all patients in the Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Prosser hospital were hospitalized for COVID treatment.

The tally includes only people sick enough with COVID to need hospital care, not people who come into the hospital for other reasons, such as to deliver a baby, while they have COVID-19, according to the Benton Franklin Health District.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center said that very few people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 have required treatment with ventilators in its intensive care unit.

As of Wednesday, the Richland hospital had five patients with COVID-19 on ventilators.

The four Tri-Cities area hospitals remain far below their combined high of 127 COVID-19 patients in mid-September, but hospitals in Western Washington have hit new records for the number of COVID patients.

At University of Washington Medicine’s four campuses — three in Seattle and one in Renton — COVID hospitalizations are higher than they’ve been at any other point in the pandemic, The Associated Press reported.

As the omicron variant spreads in Eastern Washington, Kadlec officials are expecting the number of COVID patients to also increase in local hospitals.

COVID testing

The percentage of positive test results has jumped to 25% at the free drive-thru testing site in Pasco and 17% at the free walk-up testing site in Richland, the Benton Franklin Health District said Friday.

That compares to 10% at the Pasco site and 8% at the Richland site at the end of December.

The Benton Franklin Health District expects to have more home COVID-19 tests available for residents in the next couple of weeks.

The state of Washington has ordered 5.5 million tests, and 800,000 of them have been delivered to the state . The remaining test kits should arrive in the state in the coming week.

The local health district will share information about how the home test kits will be made available in the Tri-Cities area when it knows more.

With record-high numbers of new COVID-19 cases across the state, the lab processing test results from people using the public testing sites in Pasco and Richland is taking up to 72 hours to get results out to individuals.

The Pasco site at Columbia Basin College, 3110 W. Argent Road, is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Wednesday and Thursday.

The Richland site at 975 George Washington Way is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day but Friday and Saturday.

More information is posted at covid19.bfhd.wa.gov/testing-sites.

COVID vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccination rate in the Tri-Cities continues to lag the rest of Washington state.

Statewide 63% of people are fully vaccinated compared to 52% in Benton County and 47% in Franklin County.

In Franklin County, just over 12,600 people have received a COVID booster dose.

In Benton County, with just over twice as many people, nearly 40,300 have received a booster dose, which public health officials say provides the most protection available against COVID-19.

Nearly 53,000 have received a booster dose, up from just over 30,000 a month ago.

A booster dose is a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Booster doses are now recommended for anyone 12 or older.

COVID vaccines, including boosters, are widely available at pharmacies and medical clinics. Go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov and enter your zip code for locations and types of vaccines available nearby.

In addition, Tri-Cities Community Health is giving both flu and COVID-19 shots at a clinic from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the Children’s Development Center, 1549 Georgia Ave. SE, Richland.

Only the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shots will be available, which can be given only to people 18 and older.

There is no cost for COVID shots, but flu shots cost $25.