Eleven new positive COVID-19 tests in Whatcom County, state reports Saturday
Eleven more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Health Department reported on Saturday, June 27. That brings the last-seven-day total to 113 cases.
No new deaths were reported for the county on Saturday.
Whatcom County now has 599 confirmed cases and continues to have 40 deaths during the pandemic — meaning 6.7% of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Whatcom have died — according to state department of health data as of 11:59 p.m. Friday, June 26.
The state also reports the county has 55 hospitalizations and has conducted 17,279 tests, with 3.5% returning positive results.
The most recent data from the state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard is from Thursday, June 25, 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 43.1.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of more than 50 individuals tested for each new confirmed case the past week with a rate of 35.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of 2% or less of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 2.9%.
▪ Whatcom is 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 Saturday that it has two patients who have tested positive.
U.S. and Washington state
Almost 9.9 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with at least 497,442 deaths as of Saturday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has 2,505,593 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 125,480 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Saturday evening reported 31,404 cases (an increase of 549), 1,310 deaths (an increase of 6) and 4,240 coronavirus-related hospitalizations (an increase of 46). Approximately 4.2% of all confirmed cases in the state have resulted in death, while 6% of the 525,802 tests administered have come back positive for COVID-19.
Phased reopening
Whatcom County is not meeting COVID-19 case count benchmarks and did not apply last week to move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan.
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.
People at risk expanded
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday expanded the list of people at risk of severe COVID-19 illness.
A summary of the changes from Skagit County reads:
“The CDC has removed the specific age threshold from the older adult classification. CDC now warns that among adults risk increases steadily as you age and it’s not just those over 65 who are at increased risk.
“The CDC updated the list of underlying medical conditions that increase risk of severe illness. These added illnesses include chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity with a BMI of 30 or higher, immunocompromised state from solid organ transplant, sickle cell disease and Type 2 diabetes.
“An estimated sixty percent of American adults have at least one chronic medical condition, with more than 40 percent of U.S. adults having obesity.
“The CDC also clarified the list of other conditions that might increase a person’s risk of severe illness. This list includes asthma, high blood pressure, pregnancy and neurological conditions such as stroke or dementia.”
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.”
