COVID-19 case rates remain high in Inland Northwest

The Inland Northwest saw more than 1,200 new COVID-19 cases in the past week as virus continues to spread in the area.

In Spokane County, case numbers remain high, despite a dip in cases statewide. In the last week, the county has had 767 new COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Spokane Regional Health District reported 215 new cases and two additional deaths. There have been 862 deaths in Spokane due to the virus.

There are 175 people currently hospitalized in Spokane.

After hitting record highs for COVID-19 hospitalizations, Kootenai Health numbers dipped slightly toward the end of the week. At its peak Wednesday, the hospital had 150 COVID-19 cases. As of Friday morning, that number was down to 139 patients, with 42 patients requiring critical care. There were no pediatric patients. A week ago, there were 127 patients hospitalized.

The Panhandle Health District reported 79 new cases on Friday. There have been 512 deaths in the Panhandle Health District due to the virus.

In the past week, the district’s numbers have also remained high, with 942 new cases reported in the last seven days.