Whatcom reports 3 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, but remains below Phase 2 threshold
The Whatcom County Health Department reported three more residents have tested positive for COVID-19, but no new deaths on Tuesday, June 2.
The county is now reporting 404 confirmed coronavirus cases and 30 related deaths, after the health department decreased the death total by three earlier this week following further examination to determine if the respiratory illness was the primary cause of death.
“Some of the cases might be somebody that was in hospice or has an unrelated illness or is very sick,” Whatcom County Health Department Director Erika Lautenbach said during an online briefing Monday, June 1 “The death investigation process will identify if COVID was the most significant or primary cause to why they died.”
The Washington State Department of Health reported that Whatcom County had 37 COVID-related deaths as of data Sunday night — an increase of one death from what was previously reported.
County health department spokesperson Melissa Morin said during Monday’s briefing that the two health agencies use slightly different definitions to determine which deaths are related to COVID-19 and that state definition is in the process of being updated.
The three positive tests announced Tuesday mean Whatcom County has reported an average of 2.9 cases per day over the past two weeks — well below the four-case-per-day threshold Lautenbach said the county needs to maintain to be eligible to apply for Phase 2 of the state’s re-opening plan.
Members of the Whatcom County Council, acting as the county Health Board, voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the Health Department’s application for a Phase 2 variance and send it to Inslee for consideration.
“I have the document ready and I am going to sign it right now,” said Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu.
Health Director Erika Lautenbach. was prepared to file the application today, Sidhu said.
An answer should come within two days, an official with the County Executive’s Office said.
The county health department also Tuesday reported 53 more negative test results, bringing the total to 8,199 — 95.3% of the 8,603 test results that the county has reported.
St. Joseph hospital reported to The Bellingham Herald Tuesday that it is treating one patient who has tested positive for COVID-19, while no others are suspected of having the respiratory illness.
The Nooksack Indian Tribe reported on Monday that it has tested 426 community members at the Nooksack Health Clinic during the pandemic. All but two of those, which are awaiting results, have been returned negative for COVID-19.
More than 6.3 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 377,000 deaths as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has nearly 1.8 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 105,644 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Monday night reported 21,977 cases, 1,124 deaths and 3,517 coronavirus-related hospitalizations. Approximately 5.1% of all confirmed cases in the death have resulted in death, while 6.0% of the 365,272 tests administered have come back positive for COVID-19.
Phased reopening
Whatcom County is one of 12 Washington state counties still waiting to move to Phase 2 after they meet new benchmarks announced Friday, May 29, by Gov. Jay Inslee.
The new standards for controlling infection spread and the ability to diagnose and treat patients include:
▪ Fewer than 25 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over 14 days. Lautenbach said the county needs to average fewer than four new cases per day to meet the requirement. The county has reported an average of 2.9 new cases over the past 14 days.
▪ Flat or decreasing hospitalizations for lab-confirmed COVID-19. Lautenbach said the county is seeing decreases in hospitalizations due to COVID. St. Joseph hospital reported Friday and Saturday that it was treating one patient who tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday it reported two patients who tested positive, and on Tuesday that number was one.
▪ Fewer than 80% of licensed hospital beds occupied by patients and fewer than 10% of beds occupied by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Lautenbach said St. Joseph hospital was at 79.4% occupancy and 1.5% occupied by COVID patients on Monday.
▪ Capacity to perform an average number of tests per day during the past week at a rate of 50 times (or 2%) the number of COVID-19 cases. Lautenbach said Whatcom was at 3.4% Monday, and “that is is an ideal target, so we do not believe that being above that 2% threshold damages our application to move to Phase 2.”
▪ The median time from symptom onset to specimen collection for testing in cases during the past week is less than two days. Lautenbach said Whatcom’s is half that time, at one day.
▪ In case and contact investigations, 90% of cases are reached by phone or in person within one day of receipt of a positive lab test and 80% of people who possibly were exposed are contacted within 48 hours. As of Monday, Lautenbach said Whatcom County is at 94% of those who tested positive in 83 cases over the past four weeks. She added Whatcom currently has contacted 70% of the 430 possible exposures, “but again this is an ideal target, not a hard and steady target.” Lautenbach went on to say the county is investing more resources to improve that number.
▪ The county — and all counties statewide — also received new expectations on Sunday to contact 80% of people daily during their home isolation period, Lautenbach said, adding the county is working to track that data.
▪ One or fewer outbreaks reported per week for counties with populations of 75,000 to 300,000 people. An outbreak is defined as two or more non-household cases linked by epidemiology within 14 days in a workplace, congregate living or institutional setting. Lautenbach announced Monday that the county does have one active outbreak at a processing facility, but she would not disclose which facility or how many cases have been confirmed.
As of Thursday, Whatcom County had 21 trained, full-time disease investigators who do case investigations and contact tracing the Health Department said on it its website.
Further, the county opened an isolation and quarantine facility in late April at the former Motel 6 in Bellingham.
That 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.
Skagit County also is attempting to move to Phase 2, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. The county originally applied to move to Phase 2 on Friday, but the new state’s newly issued guidelines forced it to re-apply for approval.
Phase 1 allowed the reopening of retail (curbside pick-up orders only); automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, and off-road vehicle sales; landscaping, car washes, and pet walkers.
Phase 2 enables retail firms to resume in-store purchases, restaurants to reopen with 50 percent capacity and table sizes no larger than 5, and the re-start of new construction, real estate, hair and nail salons, and barbers.
Phase 3 allows restaurants/taverns to reopen at 75 percent capacity with tables sizes no larger than 10, as well as bar areas in restaurants/taverns at 25 percent capacity, movie theaters at 50 percent capacity, and libraries and museums.
