Whatcom missing COVID-19 benchmarks, isn’t eligible to apply for Phase 3 this week
Whatcom County is not meeting COVID-19 case count benchmarks and will not apply this week to move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan, according to a county health department news release.
Whatcom County would need no new cases until July 2 to meet the case county requirement, according to the news release. In the last seven days, the state has reported 66 cases in Whatcom County.
Whatcom County moved to Phase 2 on June 5, making Friday, June 26, the earliest date the county could apply for Phase 3.
Phase 2 enabled some economic activity including in-store retail purchases, restaurants at 50% capacity with table sizes no larger than 5, and new construction restarts. Phase 2 also allowed hair and nail salons and barbers to reopen.
Phase 3 increases capacity at restaurants and taverns to 75% and allows table sizes no larger than 10. It also allows restaurants and tavern bar areas to reopen at 25% capacity, movie theaters at 50% capacity, and libraries and museums.
Over the past 14 days, Whatcom recorded an average of 28.9 confirmed cases per 100,000 people. This average is higher than the state benchmark of 25 cases per 100,000 people.
Erika Lautenback, Whatcom County Health Department director, said in a news release she is disappointing the county did not meet the benchmarks, but believes the case numbers can be reduced.
“I am confident that we can significantly lower our numbers, and help our businesses reopen, if we all make decisions that will keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy,” Lautenback said.
Lautenback said there has been a spike in cases since the county partially reopened the economy with Phase 2. She added people should wear masks, maintain physical distance and stay home when they feel sick to help bring the case numbers down.
Additionally, Whatcom county is not meeting Phase 3 testing capacity benchmarks, according to the press release. The county is currently averaging 47.7 tests for each new case over the past week, representing a 2.1 percent positive testing rate over the past week.
To meet requirements, the county must be able to perform 50 tests for each positive test over the past week, or a 2.1 percent positive testing rate over the past week.
However, the county is meeting healthcare system readiness requirements, meaning the county has enough beds unoccupied by other patients.
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