1 Whatcom death, 31 positive coronavirus tests reported by health department Thursday
Another Whatcom County resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, according to information released Thursday, April 2, by the Whatcom County Health Department. An additional 31 positive tests for the new coronavirus were also reported.
That brings the total number of Whatcom County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and died to nine, the health department reported. No other information about the most recent death was included in Thursday’s report.
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 ranges of three deaths that were announced Sunday or one reported Wednesday, where those deaths occurred or if they were related to any area care facilities.
BEHIND THE STORY
MORETracking Whatcom COVID-19 numbers
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths from the new coronavirus are reported by the Whatcom County Health Department and Washington state Department of Health on different schedules, which may result in differing numbers in stories by The Bellingham Herald.
Also, the health departments do not release names or other identifying information on individual patients due to federal health privacy laws.
We rely on local businesses and the public to tell us where confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths have occurred. It’s often unclear if or when those reported directly to us are included in county and state numbers.
If you know of confirmed cases or deaths, you can email us directly at newsroom@bellinghamherald.com or use the online tip form if you wish to protect your identity. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to communicate with reporters and editors as safely and securely as possible.
Shuksan Healthcare Center in Bellingham, which has been battling a coronavirus outbreak announced March 22, reported that another resident died Tuesday evening, but it is not clear if that death was included in the nine reported by the health department.
The nursing home also reported in a release that one additional staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, meaning 54 people (31 residents and 23 employees have tested positive). Five residents who tested positive later died, and a sixth resident who was discharged March 10 died March 20, and a test confirmed he was positive for COVID-19 a day after his death.
With the additional 31 positive tests reported Thursday, the county now has 175 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the health department.
Because it is not a health provider, the health department does not track the number of people who recover after testing positive for COVID-19, unified command spokesperson Claudia Murphy told The Herald in an email.
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 981,200 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 50,200 deaths as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 234,400 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 5,316 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 6,585 cases and 262 deaths Thursday night for data through Wednesday, April 1..
Lynden Manor reports new positives
Lynden Manor Assisted Living Residence said in a statement Tuesday, March 31, that it has five residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
No staff members showed symptoms or tested positive for the new coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to the statement.
Two residents who tested positive were already in hospice care at the facility when they tested positive for COVID-19, Lynden Manor reported.
“It is becoming more clear that many of those who have passed away from the virus around the nation and world are likely dying with the illness rather than from the illness,” Lynden Manor reported in the statement. “While all are included in the summaries of virus fatalities, it is likely that the virus may have been a contributing cause but not necessarily the primary cause in many of these losses.”
The first Lynden Manor resident to test positive was reported by the Whatcom County Health Department on March 22. Tuesday’s statement said that resident and another “are doing well and appear to be on their way to full recovery.”
The facility is in continuing to stay in contact with the health department and has asked all staff and residents be tested, the statement read. That testing is expected to be complete by April 2.
Besides the cases at Lynden Manor and Shuksan Healthcare Center, Whatcom County’s confirmed COVID-19 positive tests include:
▪ 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 that 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 11 residents at the Blaine nursing facility have tested positive.
▪ Whatcom Community College: The school has announced two employees at the Health Professionals Education Center have 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 on March 25 that it had one employee test positive.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
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 2, 2020 at 8:57 AM.
