Decline in COVID-19 Hospitalizations Statewide and in NCW Partially Linked to Deaths

Chelan and Douglas Counties are seeing a small reduction in COVID-19 hospitalizations, which reflects a statewide trend.

The Washington State Hospital Association credits the drop to an increase in vaccinations.

But Association CEO Cassie Sauer says there's also a downside to the reduction

"The reason it is not good news is that one of the reasons the hospitalizations are falling is that death rates are rising," said Sauer.

The Hospital Association says 30 died from COVID-19 in a 24-hour period earlier this week.

Hospitalizations in Chelan and Douglas Counties have dropped from 58 in the last week to a current level of 54.

Confluence Health, which operates the only hospital in the two-county area, is reporting two additional deaths from the virus this month, bring the total since the pandemic began to 101.

Of the people hospitalized for COVID-19 at Confluence Health's Central Washington Hospital, 33 are in isolation, 14 are in ICU and 10 are on ventilators.

The hospital is treating virus patients from seven counties, including three transported from outside the region - from King, Ferry and Uinta Counties.

A roughly even number of patients are being hospitalized from Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan Counties.