Coronavirus Positivity Rates In The U.S.: How Washington Ranks

SEATTLE, WA — A new study has ranked all 50 states based on their coronavirus positivity rates and how many nursing homes are without a week's supply of personal protective equipment.

Washington has the 32nd highest positivity rate in the nation, according to the report. A positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for coronavirus among those overall who have been tested.

Using data from Johns Hopkins University, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living compiled the report, which shows the number of nursing homes in each state. Since July 26, there have been 33 states with a positive test rate of more than five percent.

Notably, Washington's own self-reported positivity rate is actually worse than the one used for the study. The state Department of Health's data has shown Washington's positivity rate fluctuate between 5.7 and 5.9 percent over the past month. Currently, it is at 5.9 percent, and the state's goal is to eventually get the positivity rate to under 2 percent.

On July 22, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that, "[they] will begin requiring, rather than recommending, that all nursing homes in states with a 5% positivity rate or greater test all nursing home staff each week."

If implemented, 11,640 nursing homes in the country would be required to conduct the weekly testing, the report shows. Washington does not currently require weekly testing but did require all nursing homes in the state to test every single staff member and resident earlier in the summer.

Mark Parkinson, the president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, said that governors and state health agencies "need to take immediate action to protect our seniors and health care heroes by ensuring long term facilities have adequate supplies of PPE (including N95 masks) and staff support as well as facilitating expedited test results for our residents and caregivers."

"We also need members of the public to do their part to help reduce spread by wearing a mask in public and continuing to practice social distancing. We all have a duty to defend our nation's greatest generation and their essential caregivers," Parkinson said in a statement.

Patch Staffer Amber Fisher contributed to this report.