Washington reports 253 new COVID-19 cases; deaths backtrack and testing marred by error

The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 253 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 while total deaths rolled backward and a data error affected testing statistics.

The total number of deaths dropped by five to 1,226 on Wednesday after the state removed people who may have been positive for COVID-19 but who died from another cause.

“Until now, when a death is reported as a COVID-19 death, it is because the person who passed away also tested positive for COVID-19,” the DOH said in a statement. “However, this method doesn’t just reflect the deaths of people whose deaths were caused by COVID-19; it can include someone who may have died of other causes.”

Washington state has conducted 435,016 coronavirus tests, with 6.2 percent coming back positive. The positive rate reflects a significant jump from Tuesday’s 5.5 percent rate. The test numbers dropped by by 45,010. The differences are from a data reporting error, the DOH said in a statement Wednesday.(MORE)