State Department of Health corrects reports

OLYMPIA – The state Department of Health announced changes in reporting of COVID-19 deaths and negative test results.

According to a DOH release, when a death has been reported as a COVID-19 death, it is because the person who passed away also tested positive for COVID-19, even if COVID-19 was not the cause of the death. Beginning June 17, DOH will remove deaths from then count where COVID-19 did not contribute to the death.

For Phase 1, this will result in seven deaths being removed from the state's death count, including two suicides, three homicides and two overdose deaths.

Over the next se...