SEATTLE (AP) - The Washington state Department of Health reported 1,987 new COVID-19 cases and 11 new deaths Thursday, while health officials and doctors continued to urge people not to have Thanksgiving gatherings.
The update Thursday brings the state’s deaths to 2,603 and 137,411 cases since the pandemic began. The Seattle Times reports that 9,673 people have been hospitalized in the state due to the virus with 31 new hospitalizations since Wednesday, state officials said.
A new virus outbreak is also happening at a long-term care facility in Yakima, where officials say 50 people have been infected and four people have died, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported Thursday. The Summitview Healthcare Center in Yakima reported 27 staff and 23 residents had the disease, according to a news release from the Yakima Health District.
At the MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, five more patients have tested positive for COVID-19 and a second patient has died in an outbreak there, Q13 News reported. MultiCare said earlier this month that eight patients tested positive and one patient died after the outbreak was detected. A second patient died on Nov. 16, officials said Thursday.
Dr. Elizabeth Wako, vice president of Medical Affairs for Swedish First Hill in Seattle, said Wednesday during a weekly COVID-19 response media update that cases at the hospital have tripled since Halloween.
“Our teams are tired,” Wako said. “Do not have people over for Thanksgiving. I cannot emphasize this enough.”
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