Western State Hospital Endures Another Spike In Coronavirus Cases

LAKEWOOD, WA — Western State Hospital has just seen its biggest-ever spike in coronavirus cases, with more than 30 patients and staff testing positive for the virus in a week's time.

According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services' COVID-19 dashboard, a combined 159 patients and staff have caught the virus since the pandemic began.

Of their recent spike in cases, ten were hospital patients, all between the ages of 62 and 82. The hospital told The Associated Press that the patients have been moved to a special COVID-19 ward to avoid infecting other patients.

The remainder of the spike in cases came from hospital staff, 12 of whom tested positive for the virus within a three-day span last week. Most were in the same ward that saw the spike in infected patients, according to KOMO News.

The spike has hospital leadership urging everyone to proceed with caution.

“With this news, I am pleading with all of us to hold each other accountable for wearing the correct masks, and wearing them over both your mouth and nose,” Western CEO Dave Holt said in an email to his staff, which was obtained by the AP. “If a co-worker is not following the masking protocol, please stop them and ask them to mask to protect our patients and staff.”

Western State Hospital has been the hardest-hit of all DSHS 27/7 care facilities, accounting for more than a quarter of their confirmed coronavirus cases, as well as their sole patient death: an 85-year-old Western patient was killed by the virus back in March.

In total, 596 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in DSHS 24/7 care facilities across Washington. Of those, 128 cases remain active. The bulk of infections were in staff members, who represent 424 of the infected.