414 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths confirmed Dec. 31

On Dec. 31, we confirmed 414 new COVID-19 cases and 3 new deaths:

• A man in his 80s from Tacoma. He had no known underlying health conditions.
• A woman in her 70s from Tacoma. She had no known underlying health conditions.
• A man in his 70s from Tacoma. He had underlying health conditions.

An increase in pre-holiday testing caught cases that contribute to today’s higher case count. The good news is our percent positive rate continues to decline.  

Today, we discovered an error in pulling cases from our data management system that resulted in an incorrect report of 370 cases on Dec. 29. This number included a handful of out of county cases. The correct number for Dec. 29 is 209 cases. We have adjusted our cumulative case count and 14-day averages accordingly.

We reported 3,518 cases in the last 14 days. Our average cases per day over the last 14 days is 251.3. Our totals are 25,415 cases and 297 deaths. Our 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 390. With the 6-day data lag, our case rate is at 453.4 per 100,000. The data lag helps to ensure accuracy of our metrics.

Monday, we started reporting COVID-19 vaccines received in Pierce County. We will update these numbers weekly. So far, about residents received their first dose—either here or in the county where they work. Read more in this Your Reliable Source blog.

• Find more info on case counts, hospitalizations, testing and other metrics.
• Find more info on COVID19 vaccines.
• Find more information on schools.
• Find more information on getting a COVID-19 test.
• Find more information on how to gather with family safely.