Whatcom sees smallest COVID case increase in more than two months, state reports
One more Whatcom County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington State Department of Health reported Tuesday, Oct. 27, but there were no more deaths related to the respiratory illness.
Other than four days when new data wasn’t released (Sept. 8 and 21 and Oct. 11-12), the one new case reported Tuesday represents the smallest increase in new cases the county has seen in more than two months, since no new positive test results were reported on Aug. 25.
Whatcom County now has seen 1,577 confirmed cases and 50 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data as of 11:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26. That means that 3.2% of the Whatcom residents who have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic have died.
The state Department of Health data also shows Whatcom County has had 108 hospitalizations (no change from Monday) and 77,970 tests have been performed (a decrease of 386 from what was reported Monday).
The state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard, most recently updated Tuesday for data as of 11:59 p.m. Monday, showed that Whatcom County is making 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 49.3.
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 testing rate per 100,000 people over a week of 255.0. No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 217.3.
▪ Whatcom is making the target of less than 2% of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 during the past week with a rate of 1.2%.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of less than 80% of all licensed hospital beds occupied by patients with 83.1% 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 1.6% reported by the state.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported to The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday that it was treating four patients for COVID-19, an increase of two from Monday.
Western Washington University’s most recent on-campus student COVID testing data shows that, since Sept. 15, WWU has tested 5,621 students, five of whom had positive tests.
Mount Baker schools return
The Mount Baker School District plans to bring back kindergarten to sixth-grade students and older students who need more help for in-person instruction, with a tentative start date of Nov. 16, Superintendent Mary Sewright said in a message to parents.
The school district is the last of the seven in Whatcom County to announce its plans for bringing students back into the classroom to learn.
Mount Baker’s K-6 students will learn at home and in school in a hybrid model with an AA/BB schedule, the superintendent said.
That means students in cohort, or group, A will attend school in-person from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Tuesdays and participate in remote learning those afternoons as well as Wednesday through Friday, Sewright explained.
Cohort B students will go to school 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays and Fridays, with remote learning those afternoons as well as Monday through Wednesday.
Junior high and high school students who are struggling to pass their classes, have no internet access, are homeless, English Language Learners, or in life skills will be phased in starting Nov. 16.
The students will return with health and safety protocols in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The remaining students in junior high and high school aren’t expected to return for in-person classes until Feb. 1. Then they will be in a hybrid model, “as long as we are in the low to moderate phases of the Department of Health Decision Tree,” Sewright said to parents.
Schools have been grappling with how to teach students since Gov. Jay Inslee announced March 13 that he was closing all schools in Washington state. As school districts prepared for instruction in the fall, the Washington State Department of Health created a Decision Tree to help districts answer when and how to begin bringing students back into the classroom.
Halloween safety plan
Mayor Seth Fleetwood encouraged Bellingham residents to practice COVID-safety guidelines on Halloween.
In remarks before the City Council on Monday night Fleetwood discouraged door-to-door trick-or-treating, especially the large groups of costumed revelers who frequently roam the city’s residential neighborhoods.
“I know it’s a drag,” he said. “We’re got to be disciplined through this crazy year. I know it’s going to get better.”
Several popular holiday events have been canceled this year, including trick-or-treating in downtown and Fairhaven.
Whatcom County Health Department officials recommend against trick-or-treating, indoor haunted houses and large indoor parties because they are at high risk for spreading the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Numbers elsewhere
COVID-19 cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Monday afternoon:
▪ The U.S. has more than 8.77 million reported cases, the most of any nation, and 226,524 deaths.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 43.8 million reported cases and 1.16 million deaths.
In Washington state, the most recent numbers from the Department of Health were reported Tuesday afternoon:
▪ 104,027 reported cases, an increase of 527 from data on Monday.
▪ 8,358 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, an increase of 36 from data Monday.
▪ 2,362,595 total tests, a decrease of 10,001 from data released Monday.
▪ 2,337 deaths related to COVID-19, 16 more than were reported Monday, meaning that 2.2% of the state residents who have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic have died.
Phased reopening
Gov. Inslee on Tuesday, Oct. 13, moved all counties in modified Phase 1 to Phase 2, but his July 28 extension of an indefinite pause on counties moving ahead in the Safe Start Washington plan remains in place. That came a week after Inslee loosened some restrictions for activities and businesses.
That means 22 counties — including Whatcom — are in Phase 2 and 17 counties are in Phase 3.
