Hospital is ready for Phase 2, but Whatcom County must take other coronavirus steps
Even though Whatcom County remains in Phase 1 of Washington state’s step-by-step approach to reopening businesses and easing restrictions in the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic, local officials are preparing to meet the requirements to move into Phase 2, according to a press release sent Wednesday evening, May 27.
Statements regarding Phase 2 that the Whatcom County Health Department issued at its website Tuesday and Wednesday evenings were in apparent response to an email from The Bellingham Herald this week that went unanswered.
To advance to Phase 2 under Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan, counties must have fewer than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day span. Whatcom County has had 16.4 cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, according to Whatcom County Health Department data released Tuesday, May 26.
Put another way, Whatcom County must have fewer than 22 new cases of COVID-19 over a two-week span. As of Monday, May 25, the county had 37 new cases in the past two weeks.
To move to Phase 2, counties must also show that they have the necessary COVID-19 testing capacity, an adequate supply of personal protective equipment or PPE, that they have isolation and quarantine facilities and the local hospital has the capacity to treat patients and handle a surge, if needed.
Bev Mayhew, spokeswoman for St. Joseph Hospital, told The Bellingham Herald that officials are “cooperating closely with the county regarding Phase 2.”
Phase 2 requires the hospital to submit a letter to the Health Department, certifying:
▪ That its staff can handle a 20% surge in suspected or confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations.
▪ They are reporting, and will continue to report daily, all data requested by the state Department of Health.
▪ They have at least a 14-day supply of PPE, including N-95 respirators, surgical masks, face shields, gloves and gowns.
▪ If they are using PPE conservation strategies, they must certify that no staff person is wearing any one N95 respirator or surgical mask for longer than one shift, and that they are following state Health Department guidance on reuse or extended use of PPE.
“We can affirm our readiness to move to Phase 2 and are actively coordinating that affirmation with the county,” Mayhew said.
Counties also have to show the local health department has the capacity to conduct outbreak investigations in congregate settings, such as nursing homes and jails, and the ability to do case investigation and contact tracing, according to county variance instructions.
After that, the counties can apply for a variance to move to Phase 2.
“Moving to Phase 2 will take all of us working together, with every Whatcom County resident sharing some of the responsibility,” the Wednesday press release states. “We understand that this pandemic and the stay home order have been hard, on so many levels. We all want to get back to normal as soon as we can. And it will take all of us, working together, to get there.”
Currently, Whatcom County has 21 trained, full-time disease investigators who do case investigations and contact tracing, according to the release. To move to Phase 2, the county will need 34 trained investigators.
The county is training volunteers to be additional disease investigators, and they should start in the coming weeks, the release states. Those who want to volunteer can apply online.
There are 16 trained staff members who perform outbreak investigations at places like long-term care facilities or workplaces, the release states. The county’s outbreak response includes testing, contact tracing and follow-ups with people who need to isolate or quarantine. Site assessments and facility consultations are also done to provide recommendations for enhanced safety practices, according to the release.
The county also tracks how long it takes for its investigators to contact people who are sick and their close contacts. The county has been able to interview 94% of people who test positive for COVID-19 within 24 hours in the past month, and has been able to do contact tracing and interviews with their contacts within 48 hours for 70% of close contacts, the release states.
On Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Health updated the definition of a coronavirus close contact, in accordance with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A close contact is now defined as someone who was within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes. Previously, the time limit was 10 minutes.
Whatcom County has also been expanding its testing capacity to make sure that those who need it get tested, according to the release. If someone has symptoms, they are to contact their healthcare provider and ask about getting tested. It takes about three days on average for a person in Whatcom to get tested once they experience symptoms, the release states. The goal is two days or less.
For those who don’t have health insurance or a healthcare provider, there are resources available online, or you can call the county health department to discuss how to get tested.
The county also opened an isolation and quarantine facility in late April at the former Motel 6 on Byron Avenue. The county asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay $1.34 million to open the facility, as previously reported by The Bellingham Herald.
The facility is for anyone who tests positive for the new coronavirus or who has been exposed to the respiratory illness and can’t safely isolate or quarantine at home. County staff make sure those who test positive or who have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 have their basic needs met, including having access to food, healthcare and medications while in isolation or quarantine, the Wednesday release states. Staff also connect people to the Motel 6 facility if need be.
The county is assessing whether additional spaces are needed for isolation and quarantine, according to the press release.
“As we resume activities that bring us closer together again, it’s likely that we’ll see more cases. Being prepared to test, quickly follow up on new cases, and have people with COVID-19 … isolate themselves from others means we can limit the spread of the infection and avoid a large wave of more cases,” the release states. “Now that we’ve flattened the curve, we don’t want to lose what we’ve gained.”
As of Wednesday, May 27, 24 of Washington’s 39 counties are in or have been approved to move into Phase 2. Those counties are Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Kittitas, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pacific, Pend Orielle, San Juan, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla and Whitman.
Three counties, Clallam, Kitsap and Klickitat, are eligible to apply for a variance to move into Phase 2, and Clark County’s application is on pause due to an outbreak investigation.
A total of 11 counties remain in Phase 1. Those counties are Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Yakima, Benton and Franklin.
Counties are expected to stay in every phase for a minimum of three weeks, which allows public health experts time to monitor the impacts of reopening.
Inslee said Friday, May 22, that the state is making good progress as it continues to open, but that not all counties will reopen June 1.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
