Whatcom’s coronavirus-related deaths reach 25 Tuesday, but only 1 new case reported
For the second straight day, the Whatcom County Health Department reported only one more resident has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, April 14, but two more deaths related to the new coronavirus also were reported.
The two deaths bring the county’s number of residents who tested positive for COVID-19 and died to 25.
No other information about the two deaths, including age, gender or if they were associated with any nursing facilities in the county, were included in the health department’s release. Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-governmental agency that’s directing local pandemic response, has not yet responded to The Bellingham Herald’s requests for more information on 12 deaths reported since April 6.
The one additional positive test reported Tuesday brings the county’s total to 265. But that rise of that number has slowed in recent days, climbing by only four new cases in the past three days and 27 new infections in the past week.
The health department said Monday that a model it is using to help plan local response to the COVID-19 pandemic show Whatcom County may be past the initial wave of coronavirus infections.
“We are seeing signs that we are on the downside of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak,” Whatcom County Health Department Director Erika Lautenbach said during a news briefing.
Nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 124,544 deaths as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 592,000 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 24,737 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 10,538 cases and 516 deaths as of Monday evening.
Shuksan update
Shuksan Healthcare Center reported Monday evening that it has retested a resident who previously tested negative for COVID-19, and the results are pending.
The Bellingham nursing home currently has 27 residents, 23 of whom have tested positive for the respiratory illness.
Shuksan also reported Tuesday that a resident who previously tested positive for COVID-19 was discharged to be with their family. The resident and their family caregivers will be quarantined for 14 days, according to the Shuksan release.
The health department on March 22, announced an outbreak of new coronavirus at the Bellingham nursing home, and 10 residents have since died. An 11th person, who was formerly a resident at Shuksan, died at home 10 days after they were released, and a test that came back a day after their death positive for COVID-19.
Overall, 54 people associated with the facility have tested positive for COVID-19 — 31 residents and 23 employees.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 12:32 PM.
