OLYMPIA, Wash. – The State’s COVID-19 Joint Information Center says a backlog of data entry of negative COVID-19 test results is skewing reported infection rates.
In a release Friday, the center said about 11,000 negative test results have not yet been tallied, and further, 27% of negative test results do not have an assigned county.
These two issues combined are causing an artificial elevation of reported infection rates that is said to be impacting some counties disproportionately, including Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
The Health Department is reportedly working to resolve the issues.