cases

This new rate is lowest it's been in months. Had been 17 percent last week, dropped from 21 a few weeks ago. Two more deaths, both over 60 with previously existing health issues.

And the trend continues, of a number of sources focusing only on new positive tests in our two counties.

The percentage of hospital patients (beds) with COVID among the four area hospitals has dipped.

Sometimes you have to ask yourself "why" when it comes to what is being pushed in the news.

As of Tuesday July 7 many area headlines read something to the effect of '131 new COVID Cases reported in the Tri City area region,'  and we continue to see similar reports almost daily. While it's important to keep track of what's happening, it helps to also see other figures for perspective...

Inslee has announced a pause for two weeks for all counties. Benton Franklin County supposedly going to be in some sort of Phase 1.5, but details still sketchy.

New heat map shows concentrations of confirmed COVID in Benton-Franklin Counties.

More testing produces, obviously, more cases. But when you compare system onset with number of "new" cases on BFHD website, you see numbers dropping the last two weeks.

Deaths have risen to 21 combined, 19 in Benton County, 2 in Franklin

According to the Washington State Department of Health, data system is being overwhelmed.