COVID 4th wave: More cases, younger patients than initial surge in Wash. state Denise Whitaker | KOMO News Replay Video UP NEXT COVID infections and hospitalization rates are ratcheting higher than the initial surge of cases last year in Washington state, public health officials say. And it's happening despite efforts to get more people vaccinated against the contagious disease. The new concern is not only the number of people in the hospital - but who's ending up there with serious cases. The number of people admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 has steadily climbed from about mid-March through April. And there are still super-spreader events happening in cities large and small across the country. In Republic, in Washington state's Ferry County, indoor events at one venue ended with 10 percent of the city infected.