For the second time in five days, Whatcom reports no new coronavirus cases or deaths
For the 10th time since Whatcom County confirmed its first case of coronavirus on March 10 and the second time in five days, the Whatcom County Health Department reported no new positive tests for COVID-19 on Thursday, May 21.
No deaths related to the respiratory illness were reported, either.
Whatcom County has seen a total of 364 confirmed cases and 32 related deaths during the pandemic, according to health department statistics.
The health department also reported 23 negative test results on Thursday, bringing the county’s total to 4,662 — meaning 92.8% of tests reported in Whatcom County have come back negative.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported Thursday that it is treating one COVID-19 patient and one who is suspected of having the illness.
The Washington State Department of Health reports that Whatcom County has had 50 coronavirus-related hospitalizations during the pandemic. However, St. Joseph hospital reported to The Bellingham Herald it has had 58 hospitalizations to date.
More than 5 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 329,000 deaths as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 1.5 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 93,863 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 18,971 cases, 1,037 deaths and 3,125 coronavirus-related hospitalizations as of Wednesday evening. Approximately 5.5% of all confirmed cases in the death have resulted in death, while 6.4% of the 297,942 of the tests have come back positive for COVID-19.
Phased re-opening
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, but 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 21, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
