Whatcom’s COVID-19 numbers rise Tuesday with another death reported and 12 new cases
The Whatcom County Health Department on Tuesday, May 26, reported 12 more residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and one new death related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The numbers released Tuesday represent two days of data, as the health department was closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday.
But the death is the first related to COVID-19 the county has reported since May 8.
And the two-day total of 12 confirmed cases is the highest the county has reported in consecutive days since it reported a total of 13 new positive tests on April 30 and May 1.
Whatcom County is now reporting 381 confirmed case during the pandemic and 33 deaths related to coronavirus.
The health department also reduced the number of negative tests it is reporting to 7,762, down 154 from the total reported on Sunday. Of the 8,143 tests results reported by the county, 95.3% have been negative.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it is treating one patient who tested positive for COVID-19 and has no other patients suspected of suffering from the respiratory illness.
The Nooksack Indian Tribe reported in a public health memo posted Friday to Facebook that it has tested 316 community members with no positive results. So far, 311 tests have been returned negative, while five are still pending.
“Our dedicated medical team works closely with our Public Health Officer, Dr. Frank James, to ensure we are taking the proper steps to safeguard our community members,” the memo stated.
The Nooksack health team continues to recommend self-quarantine and is offering testing to community members who may have been exposed or are experiencing symptoms.
The Lummi Public Health Department reported last week that 42 people have tested positive for coronavirus. All have since recovered.
More than 5.5 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 347,000 deaths as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 1.6 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 98.426 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 20,065 cases, 1,070 deaths and 3,290 coronavirus-related hospitalizations as of Monday evening. Approximately 5.3% of all confirmed cases in the death have resulted in death, while 6.1% of the 330,598 tests administered have come back positive for COVID-19.
Phased re-opening
Fourteen Washington state counties, including Whatcom, Skagit and King, remain 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.
Twenty-five counties have moved or are moving to 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.
To apply for a variance, counties must have an average of less than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period. With 35 confirmed cases reported by the health department in the past 14 days and a population of more than 229,000, according to 2019 U.S. Census estimates, Whatcom County is averaging 17 new cases per 100,000 people the past 14 days.
The application process requires support from the local health officer, the local board of health, local hospitals, and the county commission/council.
Each county must demonstrate they have adequate local hospital bed capacity as well as adequate PPE supplies to keep health care workers safe. The application must include plans for:
▪ Making testing available and accessible to everyone in the county with symptoms.
▪ Staffing case investigations and contact tracing.
▪ Housing people in isolation or quarantine who can’t or don’t want to do so at home.
▪ Providing case management services to those in isolation and quarantine.
▪ Responding rapidly to outbreaks in congregate settings.
The variance requests are reviewed by the secretary of health, who can approve the plans as submitted, approve with modifications or deny the application. If circumstances change within the jurisdiction, the variance can be revoked.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 1:17 PM.
