Yakima Co see big jump in COVID-19 cases

(YAKIMA, Wash)

Yakima County reporting its largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases Friday with 98 for a total since the outbreak began mid-March of 1,756.

58 people have also lost their lives to the virus, 40 associated with long-term care facilities, including the first one at Sunnyside Rehabilitation.

"Our public health nurses went to out to Sunnyside to provide additional technical assistance and guidance for infection prevention at the facility", Lillian Bravo, Yakima Health District said. "And we continue to remain in contact with the other facilities as well to ensure that we can slow, and eventually stop the spread of COVID-19 there".

Eight of the county's 11 facilities now have COVID cases, accounting for 20% of the positive tests.

Overall, Wapato, Toppenish, Sunnyside and parts of Yakima are seeing the highest concentration of cases in the county.

"We can't say for a fact as to why this is happening, but what we can say is that these areas are typically where individuals, who are likely still working as essential workers, may be living", Bravo adds.