Whatcom sees 14 more COVID-19 cases, while infection rates in three regions increase
Fourteen more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Whatcom County, according to the Washington State Department of Health on Monday, Aug. 31. No new deaths were reported over the weekend.
Whatcom County has now had 1,102 confirmed cases during the pandemic, according to state Department of Health data as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. The state also reported Monday, Aug. 31, that Whatcom County has had 84 hospitalizations and completed 48,652 tests in total.
The 14 new cases Monday were the most Whatcom County has seen in a single day since 16 were reported on Aug. 5.
The latest Whatcom County death count, from Monday was 39, meaning 3.5% of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus have died.
The most recent data from the state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard was also reported Monday and shows Whatcom County missing one of four Phase 2 metrics goals. A fifth, recently altered metric, did not have a goal as of Monday.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents every 14 days with a rate of 30.2.
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 testing rate per 100,000 people over a week of 185.2. No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 176.1.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of 2% or less of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 1%.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds occupied by non-COVID-19 patients 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 0.4% reported by the state.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported to The Bellingham Herald on Monday that it was treating one patient for the new coronavirus.
U.S. and Washington state
More than 25.34 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 848,203 deaths as of Monday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has over 6.02 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 183,488 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Monday afternoon reported 74,635 cases (an increase of 315) and 6,763 coronavirus-related hospitalizations (an increase of 23). The state has recorded 1,473,245 total tests.
The latest numbers of statewide deaths are from Monday, with 1,915 deaths and a rate of 2.6% of all confirmed cases.
Whatcom’s COVID case locations
Three of Whatcom County’s school district regions saw their infection rates increase last week, while one region saw no new cases.
The Whatcom County Health Department, which releases data on the location of COVID-19 positive tests by school district, published new data on its website Monday, Aug. 31.
Every region other than Bellingham, Blaine and Ferndale saw its rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decrease.
Here is what the latest data showed for the seven regions in the county:
Bellingham: Up 6.1% (25 cases) since Aug. 25 to 438 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 25 to 30.
Blaine: Up 8.2% (five cases) since Aug. 25 to 66 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 17 to 40.
Ferndale: Up 3.9% (eight cases) since Aug. 25 to 212 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 21 to 24.
Lynden: Up 2.5% (four cases) since Aug. 25 to 165 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 54 to 25.
Meridian: Up 2.1% (two cases) since Aug. 25 to 96 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 54 to 28.
Mount Baker: Up 2.0% (one case) since Aug. 25 to 52 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days remained steady at six.
Nooksack Valley: Saw no new cases since Aug. 25 to remain at 62 cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 18 to nine.
The county’s data breakdowns by race, which also is typically released on Mondays, has not yet been published.
WTA expands bus service
Whatcom Transportation Authority will be expanding its bus service, which was cut by one-third amid statewide pandemic restrictions in late March.
Starting Sept. 20, buses will operate on Saturday-level schedules Monday through Saturday, spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy said in a statement. Sunday-level service remains the same, McCarthy said.
WTA also also adding earlier weekday trips on Routes 14, 190, 232 and 331 in Bellingham, Route 512 Sudden Valley, Route 72X Kendall, and Route 75 Blaine/Birch Bay. In addition, WTA will add one later trip on Route 80X, its express service to Mount Vernon.
Phased reopening
Gov. Inslee July 28 extended the pause indefinitely on counties moving ahead in the Safe Start Washington plan.
Five counties remain in a modified version of Phase 1, 17 counties — including Whatcom — are in Phase 2 and 17 counties are in Phase 3.
Phase 2 allows restaurants and taverns to operate at half capacity with table occupancy limited to five people. However, there can be no indoor seating at bars and taverns. Additionally, hair and nail salons and barber shops are allowed to resume business with some restrictions, and retail stores can reopen for in-store purchases at 30% capacity.
It also allows additional outdoor recreation and gatherings with no more than five people outside of a person’s household. However, facilities such as pools and arcades are still not allowed. Movie theaters, libraries, museums, nightclubs, live entertainment and any kind of large gathering are also not allowed.
Phase 3 allows gyms and movie theaters to operate at half capacity and restaurants to increase capacity to 75%. A prohibition on bar seating at restaurants and taverns was added in this phase earlier in July.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 3:57 PM.
