One Whatcom region shows zero COVID infection rate, as state’s data issues continue
For the first time since the data was first made available in early August, the Whatcom County Health Department on Monday reported that one Whatcom school district had a “zero” infection rate, meaning no confirmed coronavirus cases were reported in that region over the past two weeks.
The Mount Baker district has not had any new reported cases since Sept. 21.
Elsewhere, most other districts in the county held steady or saw decreases in their infection rates since data was last reported Wednesday, Oct. 7, though the Lynden district did see a significant increase in infection rate.
The health department releases data on the location of COVID-19 positive tests by school district and, published new data on its website the number of total cases and infection rates for the past two weeks through Oct. 10.
Here is what the latest data showed for the seven regions in the county:
Bellingham: Up 4.6% (27 cases) since Oct. 7 to 620 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 32 to 33.
Blaine: Up 4.5% (four cases) since Oct. 7 to 92 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 68 to 51.
Ferndale: Up 4.0% (11 cases) since Oct. 7 to 289 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days remained at 42.
Lynden: Up 7.4% (14 cases) since Oct. 7 to 204 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 35 to 64.
Meridian: Up 3.9% (four cases) since Oct. 7 to 106 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days remained at 19.
Mount Baker: Saw no new cases since Oct. 7 to stay at 59 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from six to zero.
Nooksack Valley: Up 2.2% (two cases) since Oct. 7 to 92 total cases and the rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 decreased from 108 to 72.
Race and ethnicity data
The percentage of Whatcom County COVID-19 cases impacting people identifying as races and ethnicities other than white slowed slightly over the past week, according to the latest data released by the Whatcom County Health Department Monday.
Here is what the latest data through Oct. 12 shows:
▪ White, non-Hispanic: 56.3% of cases, up from 56.3% on Oct. 5 (represents 78.7% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ Hispanic: 30.4% of cases, down from 30.8% from Oct. 5 (represents 9.5% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 5.0% of cases, up from 4.9% from Oct. 7 (represents 2.5% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ Multiracial, non-Hispanic: 2.5% of cases, unchanged from Oct. 7 (represents 3.6% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ Asian, non-Hispanic: 2.2% of cases, down from from 2.3% on Oct. 7 (represents 4.3% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ Other race, non-Hispanic: 2.0% of cases, down from 2.2% on Oct. 7 (represents 0.0% of Whatcom’s total population).
▪ Black, non-Hispanic: 1.1% of cases, up from 1.0% on Sept. 28 (represents 1.0% of Whatcom’s total population.
▪ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: Suppressed (represents 0.3% of Whatcom’s total population).
Approximately 17% of all cases do not have a known race or ethnicity.
Data not reported again
Updates on COVID-19 case counts for Whatcom County and the state of Washington were not made available for the second straight day on Monday, Oct. 12, due to a data processing issue, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
“We were not able to update the DOH dashboard today. We have identified the data issues but it will take until tomorrow to fully test and implement required revisions,” the department posted on its website, adding that it hopes to return to regular reporting Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The latest reported numbers from Whatcom County were posted Saturday, Oct. 10, and show the county as having 1,448 confirmed cases and 48 related deaths during the pandemic. The county also reported 102 hospitalizations and 68,556 tests performed.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported to The Bellingham Herald on Monday that it was treating one patient for COVID-19, down from two on Saturday and Sunday.
Western Washington University’s most recent on-campus student COVID testing data shows that since Sept. 15, WWU has tested 3,306 students, four of whom had positive tests.
COVID-19 cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Monday afternoon:
▪ The U.S. has more than 7.80 million reported cases, the most of any nations, and 214,034 deaths.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 37.70 million reported cases and 1.07 million deaths.
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.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 4:13 PM.
