33 new positive COVID-19 tests in Whatcom County, state reports Wednesday
Thirty-three more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Health Department reported on Wednesday, June 24. That brings the last-seven-day total to 97 cases. The previous 7-day high was 106 cases from March 30 to April 5.
Whatcom County Health Director Erika Lautenbach told the County Council Tuesday, June 23, that most new cases have been linked to people age 30 and younger in Ferndale, Blaine and Lynden.
“Because a lot of these cases aren’t getting really sick, they’re having more mild symptoms that they may think is a cold or something else — or not even having symptoms — they’re going to work, they’re going to more parties, they’re going to their parents’ house on the weekend, they’re out and about quite a bit,” she said.
No new deaths were reported for the county on Wednesday.
Whatcom County now has 554 confirmed cases and continues to have 40 deaths during the pandemic — meaning 7.2% of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Whatcom have died — according to state department of health data as of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
The state also reports the county has 52 hospitalizations and has conducted 16,075 tests, with 3.4% returning positive results.
The most recent data from the state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard is from Tuesday and shows Whatcom County missing one of five Phase 2 metrics goals:
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents every 14 days with a rate of 34.6.
▪ Whatcom is meeting the target rate of more than 50 individuals tested for each new confirmed case the past week with a rate of 50.6.
▪ Whatcom is meeting the target of 2% or less of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 2%.
The state noted that it will not update hospital bed capacity numbers on the Risk Assessment Dashboard until Tuesday, posting on the website that “a change in the way the beds are being counted now requires hospitals to fill out forms in a new way. New language from the CDC is prompting this change.” There was no change noted Wednesday.
▪ Whatcom was making the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds being occupied before the state change.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 10% of all licensed hospital beds being occupied by COVID-19 patients before the state change.
St. Joseph hospital reported to The Bellingham Herald Wednesday that it had no patients who have tested positive.
U.S. and Washington state
Almost 9.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with at least 481,036 deaths as of Wednesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has 2,376,263 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 121,902 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Wednesday evening reported 29,869 cases (an increase of 483), 1,293 deaths (an increase of 9) and 4,093 coronavirus-related hospitalizations (an increase of 26). Approximately 4.3% of all confirmed cases in the state have resulted in death, while 6% of the 495,498 tests administered have come back positive for COVID-19.
Phased reopening
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 Tuesday.
Whatcom County moved to Phase 2 on June 5, making Friday, June 26, the earliest date the county could apply for Phase 3.
Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved Thurston County to move to Phase 3 on Wednesday. That leaves three counties in Phase 1, two counties in a modified version of Phase 1, 17 counties — including Whatcom — in Phase 2 and 17 counties in Phase 3.
Phase 2 enables retail firms to resume in-store purchases, restaurants to reopen with 50% 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% capacity with table sizes no larger than 10, as well as bar areas in restaurants/taverns at 25% capacity, movie theaters at 50% capacity, and libraries and museums.
Safety precautions
A Peace Health safety campaign says that to “continue to protect ourselves, our families and our communities, we must stay the course by strictly following health and safety precautions, in alignment with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Wear a mask: To show respect for others as well as prevent the spread of COVID-19, wear a face-covering around others. Avoid touching your mask.
“Practice physical distancing: Whenever possible, remain at least 6 feet apart.
“Use proper hygiene: Clean hands often throughout the day using hand sanitizer or vigorous hand washing. Cover your mouth or nose with a tissue or inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing.
“Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
“Stay home if you are sick: If you are experiencing symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat or loss of taste or smell, please call your healthcare provider’s office before arriving or scheduling an appointment to determine the appropriate care setting and testing process.”
