Six new coronavirus cases reported Thursday push Whatcom’s total over 300
Whatcom County surpassed 300 coronavirus cases, as the Whatcom County Health Department on Thursday, April 30, reported six more residents tested positive for COVID-19. No more related deaths were reported, though.
That brings to county’s totals to 304 cases of the respiratory illness and 28 related deaths, according to the health department’s statistics.
With 11 new cases in the past two days, Whatcom County has now reported 20 new positive tests in the five days since Sunday, April 26. In the full week prior (April 19-25) the county only saw only eight new cases.
The health department also reported nine more negative test results Thursday, bringing the total number to 2,433.
More than 3.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 229,000 deaths as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 1 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 61,288 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 14,070 cases and 801 deaths as of Wednesday evening.
Shuksan admits COVID-19 patient
Shuksan Healthcare Center announced in a release that on Tuesday it admitted a new resident who had previously tested positive for COVID-19.
It is the fourth person the Bellingham nursing facility has admitted after they tested positive for the respiratory illness. One of the first three residents — a person in their 70s — died on Monday, April 27.
The Bellingham nursing home announced last week that it would begin accepting new patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus. It is one of three the state is working to set up as COVID-19 specific sites to offer more space for isolation for patients who may not be able to isolate well in existing long-term care facilities.
Shuksan reports it currently has 29 residents, 25 of whom have previously tested positive for COVID-19, two who previously tested negative, one who tested inconclusive and one who refused testing.
The Whatcom County Health Department first announced a coronavirus outbreak at Shuksan on March 22. Since then, a total of 54 people at the facility tested positive — 31 residents and 23 staff members.
Before Monday’s death, 10 Shuksan residents who tested positive for COVID-19 died. An 11th, who died at home 10 days after being released from the facility, also had a test return positive the day after their death.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 12:18 PM.
