Thursday report shows Whatcom’s worst 7-day period ever with 20 new COVID-19 cases
Twenty more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Health Department reported on Thursday, June 25. That brings the last-seven-day total to 107 cases, the most the county has ever experienced in a seven-day period.
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.
No new deaths were reported for the county on Thursday.
Whatcom County now has 574 confirmed cases and continues to have 40 deaths during the pandemic — meaning 7.0% of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Whatcom have died — according to state department of health data as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, June 24.
The state also reports the county has 52 hospitalizations and has conducted 16,563 tests, with 3.5% returning positive results.
The most recent data from the state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard is from Wednesday and shows Whatcom County missing three 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 55.4. By comparison, King County, which remains in Phase 1, has a rate of 24.7.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of more than 50 individuals tested for each new confirmed case the past week with a rate of 42.4.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of 2% or less of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 2.4%.
▪ Whatcom was making the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds with 71.4% reported by the state.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 10% of all licensed hospital beds being occupied by COVID-19 patients with 0% reported by the state.
St. Joseph hospital reported to The Bellingham Herald Wednesday that it had one patient who has tested positive.
U.S. and Washington state
Almost 9.6 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with at least 489,405 deaths as of Thursday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has 2,452,567 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 125,796 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Wednesday evening reported 30,367 cases (an increase of 498), 1,300 deaths (an increase of 7) and 4,106 coronavirus-related hospitalizations (an increase of 13). Approximately 4.3% of all confirmed cases in the state have resulted in death, while 6% of the 505,795 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.
Three counties are in Phase 1, two counties are in a modified version of Phase 1, 17 counties — including Whatcom — are in Phase 2 and 17 counties are 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.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 5:48 PM.
