Spokane County confirms 2 new COVID-19 cases; nearly 300 have recovered
![COVID-19 tests containing samples are gathered in a refrigerator at the screening center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)](https://thumb.spokesman.com/uO6q6eDqVn9RLDznlEJuDvMVKgE=/600x0/media.spokesman.com/graphics/2018/07/sr-loader.png)
Spokane County confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday for a total of 398.
The death toll remained at 30, and three people were in the hospital, according to the Spokane Regional Health District.
About 73% of residents confirmed to have COVID-19, or nearly 290 cases, have recovered so far, according to the health district. The health district defines someone as recovered if they are not hospitalized and 28 days have passed since they noticed symptoms.
Just over 70 people have been hospitalized in Spokane County since the pandemic began, according to the health district.
A fifth Spokane Veterans Home resident who tested positive for COVID-19 returned to the nursing home on Thursday from the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center after testing negative twice 24 hours apart, according to the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.
Dozens of residents who tested positive were sent to the COVID-19 unit at the VA Medical Center for isolation and in case they needed a higher level of care than the nursing home could provide. A number of those people were in end-of-life care, and more than 30 residents with COVID-19 remain housed there.
“We are overjoyed to welcome this Veteran back Home,” said Lourdes E. “Alfie” Alvarado-Ramos, director of the WDVA, in a statement. “Our thanks go to the outstanding team at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center for the tremendous care and support they have provided during this unprecedented time. Our facilities will continue working together to ensure Veterans and their families receive the most appropriate care until we defeat this enemy.”
A total of 46 Spokane Veterans Home residents have tested positive for COVID-19 out of 86 people who were living at the nursing home at the beginning of April. Nine residents diagnosed with COVID-19 have died and 24 employees have also tested positive, including the facility’s first confirmed case.