12 More Coronavirus Deaths, 571 New Cases In Washington

SEATTLE, WA — The state Department of Health reported 571 new coronavirus cases Tuesday afternoon, and 12 more deaths were linked to COVID-19 in Washington. The day before saw 501 new cases and 10 deaths across the state.

The recent trends have concerned public health officials throughout Washington. Pierce County is halting plans to move ahead with reopening plans, and Snohomish County officials acknowledged Tuesday they may have to move backward. In King County, the average daily number of cases has doubled since mid-June.

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Gov. Jay Inslee visited the Tri-Cities area Tuesday, where all but one ICU bed was in use by Monday. The Tri-City Herald reported the governor was shouted at by three protesters in Pasco, where he repeated calls for all residents to wear face coverings in public spaces.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading and most visible infectious disease expert, warned senators Tuesday that a rise in cases — especially in southern and western states — could put whole country at risk.

"We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day," Dauci said. "I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this not turn around.

According to the latest available data, at least 32,824 people have tested positive for the virus in Washington since the crisis began, and 1,332 people have died. More than 557,000 Washingtonians have been tested for the coronavirus, with 5.9 percent testing positive overall. The positivity rate in King County is slightly higher than the state average, at 6.1 percent.

Catch up on the latest developments:

Pierce County hits pause on reopening plans

Pierce County will halt plans to apply for the next reopening phase, with health officials pointing to a "worrisome straight-line increase" in cases since the middle of June.

Dr. Anthony Chen, the county's health officer, published his thoughts on recent trends in a blog post Tuesday afternoon.

Chen wrote that he was "cautiously optimistic" just two weeks ago, when case numbers were lower, and directed his team to begin work on an application for the third of four reopening phases.

"Last week I tempered my optimism and announced we would instead apply for a modified version of Phase 2," Chen wrote. "This week, we have seen no sign of improvement."

Coronavirus activity in Pierce County since mid-June:

• New case rates over 14 days grew from 16 to 44 per 100,000 residents.
• Tuesday's case update showed 47 new illnesses and two more deaths. The county is averaging 28 new cases per day.
• The current positivity rate in the county is at 3.6%, below the target under 2%.

Chen said the latest data led him to no longer be "in a hopeful place," and withdrew his recommendation for an expanded Phase 2 after consultation with the board of health.

"We all worked hard together to flatten the curve," Chen wrote. "We have lost ground and cannot afford to lose more."

Read more: Pierce County Will Not Apply For Phase 3, Or Modified Phase 2

King County coronavirus cases spike among younger adults

As the daily average of new coronavirus cases doubled in King County in the last two weeks, more than half of the were infections recorded among younger adults, according to public health officials. Among the new cases seen in those aged 20-49, about 40 percent were diagnosed in Seattle residents.

"Increasing cases and risk for acquiring COVID-19 in our community threatens the hard-earned progress we made during the stay-at-home order," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County's health officer. "This virus is as smart as ever and we need to be as well -- the risk from COVID-19 remains serious."

Duchin reiterated information shared last week that no single exposure site or activity appeared to be driving the recent increase, and the largest number of cases remain among household contacts.

So far, public health officials are not seeing an increase in hospitalizations or deaths, but those trends can take a few weeks to appear. Aside from increased transmission, a significant boost in testing capacity and eased criteria for receiving tests may be contributing factors in the recent spike in confirmed cases, Duchin said.

To reverse the trend, residents are encouraged to take prevention measures seriously in the long-term, including limiting close contacts and wearing face coverings in public areas.

Read more: Younger Adults May Be To Blame For King County's Spike In Cases

Coronavirus outbreak among UW fraternity houses

At least 38 University of Washington students living along Greek Row have confirmed COVID-19 illnesses, officials confirmed Tuesday. The university said the more than three dozen cases were all recorded in recent days, prompting a coordinated outbreak containment effort led by public health officials.

According to a news release published Tuesday, the students live among 10 fraternity houses situated north of the university's Seattle campus. UW said approximately 1,000 students are currently living in the 25 off-site houses. Those with confirmed infections, potential symptoms or suspects exposure are asked to quarantine or self-isolate.

UW Medicine has established a testing facility within walking distance of the Greek Row to ensure easy access to students living in the area.

Read more: Coronavirus Cluster At University Of Washington's Greek Row

Coronavirus cases by county:

The above numbers are provided by the state Department of Health, and some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.