State reports seven more positive COVID-19 cases in Whatcom County on Friday
Seven more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Whatcom County, according to the Washington State Department of Health on Friday, Sept. 4. No new deaths were reported.
Whatcom County now has had 1,125 confirmed cases during the pandemic, according to state Department of Health data as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. The data also shows Whatcom County has had 84 hospitalizations and completed 50,866 tests in total.
The state also reported Friday that Whatcom County has had 39 related deaths, 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 Friday and shows Whatcom County missing one of four Phase 2 metrics goals. A fifth, recently altered metric, did not have a goal as of Friday.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents every 14 days with a rate of 29.3
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 testing rate per 100,000 people over a week of 199.3. No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 180.5.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of 2% or less of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 1.0%.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds occupied by non-COVID-19 patients with 68.2% 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 0.8% reported by the state.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported to The Bellingham Herald on Friday that it was treating two patients for the new coronavirus.
U.S. and Washington state
More than 26.43 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 872,250 deaths as of Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 6.19 million confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — and at least 187,484 related deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health Friday afternoon reported 76,335 cases (an increase of 479) and 6,848 coronavirus-related hospitalizations (an increase of 14). The state has recorded 1,534,090 total tests.
The latest numbers of statewide deaths are from Friday, with 1,953 deaths (an increase of eight), indicating 2.6% of people with confirmed cases have died.
Agape House reports positive
Lighthouse Mission Ministries reported that a staff member at Agape Home — the ministry’s shelter for women and children on Holly Street in Bellingham — tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, Aug. 31.
It is the first known COVID-19 case at the Mission, according to a Lighthouse Mission release, which added that the virus was detected quickly and the person is now in quarantine.
“Lighthouse Mission Ministries is following all recommended precautions to keep our guests and staff safe and healthy,” Lighthouse Mission Ministries Executive Director Hans Erchinger-Davis wrote in the release. “We have worked closely with Community Paramedics and the Whatcom County Health Department to develop our COVID-19 protocols, which include: encouraging social distancing and mask wearing among guests and staff, daily symptom checks for all staff members, and a thorough daily cleaning regime.”
Since the positive test, the Mission has remained in contact with local authorities about best practices, guidelines and minimizing exposure to others and everyone who was in contact with the staff member has been contacted by the health department, according to the release. All guests and staff at the Agape Home are being tested for coronavirus and are quarantining.
“We take seriously that one of our staff members has contracted COVID-19 from a loved one,” Erchinger-Davis wrote. “Our prayers are with them for a full recovery and we are taking all necessary steps to keep others healthy.”
Skagit adjusts testing hours
Skagit County announced it it is adjusting the hours for its drive-thru testing to better accommodate those who work beginning Monday, Sept. 21.
“It has been difficult to balance resources, staff time and community needs at the testing site,” Skagit County Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson said in a release on the changes. “We’re glad to be in a place where these adjusted hours are possible. It will help fill an important community need.”
The new hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the county’s drive-thru testing site at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon. The testing site is open to those who live in or work in Skagit County, and no appointment is necessary.
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 September 4, 2020 at 3:56 PM.
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