MOSES LAKE — There were 28 new cases of the coronavirus reported in Grant County on Thursday, including cases in Ephrata, Mattawa, Moses Lake, Quincy, Royal City, Soap Lake and Warden, according to Grant County Health District.

This brings the total cases since the pandemic began to 1,988, according to the health district. State officials reported Wednesday that 105 county residents have been hospitalized since the pandemic began, while 18 are currently hospitalized, the health district reported Thursday.

Health district officials during a Thursday briefing said the pandemic continues to pick up speed in Grant County. While the state recommends that a county have no more than 25 cases per 100,000 people during a two-week period to advance in the four-phase reopening plan, Grant County has had 616, an increase of 169 over the previous week, the district reported.

There have been 583 cases in Moses Lake since the pandemic began, 527 in the Quincy area, and 371 in the Mattawa area — the three areas in the county with the highest numbers of confirmed cases.