One more Whatcom death, 5 new positives reported by health department Wednesday
One more Whatcom County residents who tested positive for COVID-19, the new coronavirus, has died, according to information released Wednesday, April 1, by the Whatcom County Health Department.
That brings the total number of deaths in Whatcom County due to the coronavirus pandemic to eight, the health department reported.
The health department has not yet reported any details about the most recent death, and it is unclear if it was the person in their 70s that Shuksan Healthcare Center reported had died Monday night.
Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-governmental agency directing local pandemic response, has not yet responded to The Bellingham Herald’s requests for the gender and age range of three deaths that were announced Sunday, March 31, where those deaths occurred or if they were related to any area care facilities.
Five more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the health department reported Wednesday, bringing the county’s total number diagnosed with the respiratory illness to 144.
The health department didn’t include information on the gender or age range of the new cases, saying it would no longer provide those details because the number of confirmed cases has increased.
Whatcom’s first death from coronavirus — a man in his 60s — was reported on March 19.
On March 20, a man in his 80s died at his home, the health department reported, and test results revealed a day later that he also had COVID-19.
Two deaths were reported March 26 — a woman in her 90s who was a resident at the Shuksan Healthcare Center in Bellingham and a man in his 90s who was previously a resident at Summit Place Assisted Living in Bellingham.
More than 905,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 45,300 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 199,000 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 4,300 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 4,896 cases and 195 deaths as of Saturday night, and technical difficulties have so far prevented the state from updating its numbers.
WCC announces second positive
Whatcom Community College announced Tuesday that a second employee at the Health Professions Education Center has tested positive for COVID-19.
The employee was last on campus March 20, according to a letter from president Kathi Hiyane-Brown posted on the school’s website, but no other information about the employee was released.
“As with the first case, the employee is in self-isolation and is recovering,” Hiyane-Brown wrote. “Please join me in wishing both employees a quick and complete recovery. Our custodial staff is expanding their deep cleaning efforts of the (Health Professions Education Center) building and continuing to follow the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention disinfecting protocols for COVID-19.”
Hiyane-Brown’s announcement came four days after she wrote about the first positive test for the new coronavirus at the health center.
As of Tuesday morning, March 31, the Whatcom County Health Department reported 139 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and seven deaths related to the respiratory illness. Shuksan Healthcare Center later Tuesday reported another death, meaning there have been at least eight in the county.
COVID-19 positive tests in Whatcom County have been announced at:
▪ Shuksan Healthcare Center: 53 positive tests (33 residents, 20 employees) and four resident deaths. A fifth resident who was discharged March 10 died March 20, and a test confirmed he was positive for COVID-19 a day after his death. A COVID-19 outbreak at the Bellingham nursing home was reported by the health department March 22.
▪ Lummi Nation: 17 positive tests have been reported by the Lummi Public Health Department among community members, including 10 who live on the Lummi Reservation and seven who live outside the reservation. The Lummi health department also has reported nine community members who have recovered.
▪ Stafholt: The Good Samaritan Society confirmed that two medical professionals and two residents at the Blaine nursing facility have tested positive.
▪ Lynden Manor: The Whatcom County Health Department announced March 22 that a resident at the Lynden facility has tested positive.
▪ Summit Place Assisted Living: A man in his 90s who was previously a resident at the assisted living facility in Bellingham died at St. Joseph hospital after testing positive. His death was reported March 26.
▪ Spring Creek by Bonaventure: On Friday, March 27, the Bellingham senior living facility confirmed that a resident tested positive.
▪ Intalco: The Alcoa aluminum smelter in Ferndale reported that it had one employee test positive on March 25.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 9:01 AM.
