Since pandemic began, 56 Whatcom healthcare workers have tested positive for coronavirus
Healthcare workers made up 18% of people in Whatcom County who tested positive for COVID-19 in the first eight weeks of the new coronavirus pandemic, according to Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-governmental agency directing the local pandemic response.
The 56 healthcare workers were included in the 311 total Whatcom County residents who had tested positive for the new coronavirus by May 1. Whatcom Unified Command defines a healthcare worker as anyone who works in a medical or dental healthcare setting or pharmacy.
By Sunday, May 17, the total number of Whatcom County residents reported to have tested positive for the new coronavirus reached 353.
Of the 56 who tested positive from March 10 to May 1, at least 31 were associated with skilled nursing or long-term care facilities, according to facility officials.
Whatcom Unified Command declined to provide occupation data for ill healthcare workers, taking a week to provide this statement to The Bellingham Herald:
“Whatcom County Health Department is not providing cluster, industry, employer-specific data at this time. These data are used for disease investigation and control purposes to effectively reduce the impact of the disease in the community. It is essential for public health to ensure industries, employers, and groups are willing to cooperate with public health during disease investigations. Maintaining trust is key to this and thus public health will continue to take action to identify, investigate, and mitigate clusters as they are identified, but not identify them publicly.”
In early May, Whatcom Unified Command and the Whatcom County Health Department confirmed to The Herald that roughly 74% of Whatcom’s then-28 total deaths were associated with skilled nursing or long-term care facilities. The number of deaths associated with COVID-19 as reported by the county health department Friday is 32, though the Washington State Department of Health reported Thursday night that Whatcom County had 35 deaths linked to the coronavirus.
Two of Whatcom County’s nine skilled nursing facilities have reported positive coronavirus cases. An additional three long-term care facilities and one adult family home in the county have also reported positive cases.
Shuksan Healthcare Center in Bellingham, which first reported an outbreak on March 22, has had 23 staff members test positive — accounting for half of the total healthcare workers who have tested positive across the county, according to Dan Brady, a Shuksan spokesperson.
The skilled nursing facility announced April 22 that it would begin accepting new patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus. A second skilled nursing facility, Avamere Bellingham Healthcare and Rehab, will also be housing COVID-19 positive residents.
The Good Samaritan Society - Stafholt in Blaine, which first reported its outbreak in late March, has had six healthcare workers associated with the facility test positive, according to Shawn Neisteadt, a spokesperson for Good Samaritan Society — a South-Dakota-based not-for-profit provider of senior housing and services that operates Stafholt.
Four Stafholt staff members have tested positive, three of whom have recovered as of May 5, Neisteadt said. Two medical providers who visit the facility also tested positive, he said, and both have recovered.
Lynden Manor has had one staff member test positive as of May 8, according to facility administrator Russ Chittock.
Spring Creek by Bonaventure has had one employee test positive. The employee has fully recovered and is back at work, according to Jeremiah Gray, director of operations for Bonaventure Senior Living, which operates Spring Creek.
Summit Place Assisted Living previously declined to speak to the press regarding updated numbers of positives at its facility, so it’s unclear if any staff members associated with the facility have tested positive.
One adult family home in Whatcom County has also reported at least one positive coronavirus case of a patient or healthcare provider, but the state Joint Information Center handling the COVID-19 response is not naming adult family homes because it could potentially be a HIPAA violation. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, is the federal law that protects patient health information.
In addition to the care facilities, as of May 5, five caregivers who work at PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to Bev Mayhew, a hospital spokesperson.
Mayhew said a thorough investigation was done following each positive test result, and determined that no additional exposures to other caregivers or patients occurred.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
