After big increase Thursday, Whatcom County sees four new COVID-19 cases Friday
Four more more Whatcom County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington State Department of Health reported Friday, Oct. 9, but no coronavirus-related deaths were reported.
The county now has seen 1,444 confirmed cases and 48 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. That means that 3.3% of the Whatcom residents who have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic have died.
The four cases are a big drop from the 21 reported Thursday, which marked the county’s largest single-day increase in cases since 33 were reported on June 24.
The county’s reported death total has increased by eight since Sept. 21.
Earlier Thursday, the Whatcom County Health Department reported that the outbreak at Highland Health and Rehabilitation skilled nursing facility in Bellingham had grown to 54 cases and 10 related deaths since mid-September. Because the health department does not release information about individual deaths, it is not known how many of those 10 deaths are included in the county’s overall death total, but it would appear the county’s death total will grow by at least two in the coming days.
Thursday’s state Department of Health data also shows Whatcom County has had 101 hospitalizations (unchanged from Thursday) and 68,145 tests have been performed (an increase of 550 from Thursday).
The Lummi Public Health Department announced on Facebook Friday afternoon that a 65th community member has tested positive during the pandemic. As of data released Oct. 2, the Lummi health department has tested 1,850 people and three community members have had to be hospitalized, but none have died.
The Nooksack Indian Tribe reported via Facebook that its health team has tested 1,155 people as of Thursday, Oct. 8, and so far one test has returned with a positive result.
The state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard was updated Friday, for data as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, and showed that Whatcom County is missing two of four 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 64.8.
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 testing rate per 100,000 people over a week of 223.4. No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 186.5.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 2% of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 1.5%.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds occupied by patients with 87.5% 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 Friday that it was treating one patient for COVID-19, down from three on Thursday.
Western Washington University’s most recent on-campus student COVID testing data shows that since Sept. 15, WWU has tested 3,296 students, four of whom had positive tests.
Numbers elsewhere
COVID-19 cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Friday afternoon:
▪ The U.S. has more than 7.65 million reported cases, the most of any nations, and 213,532 deaths.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 36.72 million reported cases and 1.06 million deaths.
In Washington state, the most recent numbers from the Department of Health were reported Friday afternoon:
▪ 92,560 reported cases, an increase of 642 from data on Thursday.
▪ 7,762 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, an increase of 29 from data Thursday.
▪ 2,037,946 total tests, an increase of 21,475 from data Thursday.
▪ 2,190 deaths related to COVID-19, an increase of seven deaths from data Thursday, indicating 2.4% of people with confirmed cases have died.
Skagit surge
With 27 confirmed new cases on Thursday and “many more probable cases” in the past few days, Skagit County Health Officer Dr. Howard Leibrand proclaimed “we’re in trouble,” in a news release Thursday evening.
As of data released Thursday, Skagit County, which remains in Phase 2, is averaging 31.7 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, though Leibrand predicts if trends continue it could soon reach 75.
“Let’s work together to turn this around. This is still a public health emergency, even after seven months!” Leibrand wrote in the release.
Leibrant touched on four areas to focus on:
▪ Masks: “The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that the better we are about mask use, the less the disease will spread,” Leibrand wrote.
▪ Social gatherings: The vast number of Skagit’s new cases are coming from family or social gathers and from workplaces. “Every time we interact with another person, there is risk of transmission,” Leibrand wrote.
▪ Contact tracing: Leibrand says the the health department’s contact with possibly infected people is working to slow to the spread.
▪ Schools: Leibrand said it is important that students continue to return for in-person learning, but added, “If our community rates continue to climb, we risk our ability to keep kids returning to school.”
Phased reopening
Gov. Inslee on Tuesday, Oct. 6, loosened some restrictions for activities and businesses but his July 28 extension of an indefinite pause on counties moving ahead in the Safe Start Washington plan remains in place.
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.
