ADAMS COUNTY - There are now 20 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, up from just five cases less than a week ago with confirmed cases in the Lind, Othello and Ritzville areas, according to the Adams County Health Department.

Of those twenty confirmed cases, two remain hospitalized, according to county public information officer Stephen McFadden.

Othello has had the most amount of confirmed cases, with 16 cases in that area alone, including a family of seven. Ritzville and the Lind area each have two confirmed cases. In total, 121 tests have been conducted for Adams County residents, of which approximately 80 have come back negative and 21 are pending results.

Of those tests where results have been determined, almost 20 percent have come back positive, one of the highest positive rates in a state where the statewide average is around eight percent. In recent press conferences, Gov. Jay Inslee has cited that alarmingly high rate, referencing Adams County and a number of other rural counties as a sign that the COVID-19 outbreak is moving outside of the Puget Sound area and into Central and Eastern Washington.