COVID-19 cases surging across Washington state, vaccination urged By Q13 News Staff (Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images) The latest COVID-19 report from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is showing a surge in new cases, which experts link to the widespread delta variant. The state's latest sequencing data showed that delta variant cases constituted 58% of the sequenced specimens collected between June 20-July 3, according to DOH. By mid-June, statewide COVID-19 cases had started to flatten but since the first week of July, cases have increased. As of July 8, hospital admission rates have also risen, according to the report. Since July 4, approximate hospital admission rates among unvaccinated people between the ages of 45-64 were 20 times higher than among the vaccinated individuals in the same age group. Washington health officials estimate that statewide population immunity was at 51.9% on July 8.