Whatcom County Health Department reports seven new cases of COVID-19 Monday
Seven more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the Whatcom County Health Department announced Monday, May 18, but no new deaths related to coronavirus were reported.
The county now has 360 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness, resulting in 32 deaths, the health department reports.
The Washington State Department of Health reported in its release Sunday evening that 35 Whatcom County residents that have died tested positive for COVID-19.
Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-governmental agency that’s directing local pandemic response, told The Bellingham Herald that the discrepancy comes because the county health department is reporting deaths where the cause of death is coronavirus, while the state is reporting the total number of people who have died that also tested positive for COVID-19.
The county health department also reported 11 negative test results Monday, bringing the total of negative tests to 4,582 — or 92.7% of all test results that have been reported to the county.
Late Sunday, the county health department released a breakdown of coronavirus cases by geographic regions in the county and race and ethnicity. Bellingham had the most cases and the highest rate of cases per 100,000, according to those numbers, which were updated through May 14.
For the third straight day, St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported that it was not treating any patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 or anyone suspected of having coronavirus.
More than 4.7 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 316,000 deaths as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 1.4 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 89,874 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 18,433 cases and 1,001 deaths as of Sunday evening.
Most of Washington state, including Whatcom County, remains in Phase 1 of the state’s phased approach to re-opening businesses and modifying physical distancing measures.
Under Phase 1, high risk populations are encouraged to stay home, some outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, golf, boating and hiking) is allowed, no public gatherings are allowed and only travel deemed essential is allowed. Businesses permitted to operate in Phase 1 include: essential businesses, existing construction projects, landscaping, automobile sales, curbside retail pickup, car washes and pet walkers.
Some Washington counties have begun to move into Phase 2, which allows more outdoor recreation, gatherings of up to five people, limited non-essential travel and more businesses to open, though restrictions still remain.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
