Whatcom’s case numbers are way up — are schools also seeing increased COVID spread?
Despite Whatcom County seeing record increases in new COVID-19 cases the past week, schools don’t seem to be a place where large numbers of infections are occurring in the county.
Whatcom Unified Command declined to answer The Bellingham Herald’s request if any new coronavirus cases have emerged at area schools, citing “HIPPA and prior practice” of not sharing information about new cases or industry- or employer-specific data.
“But consistent with what we’ve seen from the state, what we’re seeing so far in schools isn’t leading us to be concerned about schools as a place where COVID-19 is spreading significantly at this time,” Whatcom Unified Command spokesperson Amy Cloud told The Herald in an email.
During the health department’s online media briefing last week, director Erika Lautenbach said that only about 20% of Whatcom’s cases were traced back to formal settings, such as schools and workplaces.
To varying degrees, all seven public school districts in Whatcom County now have at least some students back in classrooms for in-person learning.
The news that Whatcom County schools are not an area of concern is encouraging, especially as school outbreaks have been seen elsewhere.
Just across the border in British Columbia, The Abbotsford News reported Tuesday, Nov. 17, that a private middle school was closed due to an outbreak of six COVID-19 cases as of Monday. Province-wide, four schools in the Lower Mainland have closed because of outbreaks and students across British Columbia could see an extended winter break and more remote learning as the caseload continues to climb, according to a Canadian Press story.
On this side of the border, The Detroit News on Monday reported 63 new COVID cases at Michigan schools on Monday, while the Salt Lake Tribune reported last week that 25 Utah schools will shift to online after outbreaks developed.
Cloud reported that though Whatcom Unified Command and the Whatcom County Health Department remain in close communication with all school superintendents in the county, “guidance from the health department has not changed” since districts began announcing plans to open last month.
Districts used several resources to make their decisions about reopening classrooms, according to Cloud and district posts on their website, including the Washington State Department of Health’s decision tree, guidance from the State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and Gov. Jay Inslee, as well as recommendations from Whatcom County Health Officer Dr. Greg Stern.
“In early October, Dr. Stern offered recommendations based on an assessment of the current COVID-19 risk to the community,” Cloud wrote. “School districts considered the safety of their staff and teachers, some invited their families to provide input.
“The Health Department provides support and guidance for any schools that choose to have students and staff in-person and have a dedicated Education Response Team.”
But the state and even Whatcom County have seen record caseloads in recent days, forcing the state Department of Health to look at revising its decision tree for kindergarten through 12th grade, Cloud said, and those changes “may affect our local school districts’ decisions.”
In the month of November, Whatcom County has twice set record highs for new cases (46 on Friday, Nov. 13, and 48 on Sunday, Nov. 15) and saw more cases (332) in the first 17 days than it has seen in any other month during the pandemic.
“Clearly, the situation has changed since mid-October,” Cloud wrote. “While Whatcom County’s cases are not increasing at the same rapid rate seen elsewhere in Washington, we have cause for concern.“
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
