Whatcom sees 68 new COVID cases Saturday as health department warns of rapidly rising cases
Whatcom County has 68 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Washington State Department of Health on Saturday, Jan. 9. Deaths are not reported on the weekend.
“Whatcom County has entered new, uncharted and dangerous COVID-19 territory. Since Dec. 30 cases have risen very rapidly, faster than ever before. There’s a high risk of the virus spreading even further as people return to work after the holidays. The Whatcom County Health Department advises immediate action to curb the rise in cases,” according to a health department Facebook post Saturday.
Bellingham Herald data shows Whatcom County has had 666 cases for Dec. 30-Jan. 7.
“Twice as many cases were reported this week than last, and case counts in recent days far exceeded previously seen daily case count records. Unlike in the past, this wave is sweeping across all age groups and the rise in cases is consistent across all age groups. After preliminary and ongoing review of case investigations, it appears that the majority of transmission continues to occur in households and at social gatherings,” according to a county news alert.
Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department, said in the alert that “it’s imperative for Whatcom County residents to double-down on known preventive measures.“
“The steps we need to take are familiar by now,” Lautenbach said, “and if we all act now, we can stop this viral surge in its tracks.”
The county asks residents:
▪ Avoid crowds and gatherings.
▪ Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from people you don’t live with.
▪ Wear a mask whenever you’re around people who don’t live with you — this includes when you’re outdoors, if you can’t maintain a 6-ft distance.
▪ Wash or sanitize hands frequently.
▪ Stay home when experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or after spending any time around others with symptoms.
▪ Get tested and isolate from others if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Overall, Whatcom County has seen 4,112 confirmed cases and 56 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data as of 11:59 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8. That means that 1.4% of the Whatcom residents who have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic have died.
Twelve additional probable cases — no change from Friday’s report — have been reported in Whatcom County during the pandemic, resulting from positive antigen tests, but those cases were not confirmed by a molecular test.
The state cautioned that case counts Saturday may include up to 1,000 duplicates statewide and that negative test results Nov. 21-30 and from Dec. 23 still may be incomplete.
The state Department of Health data Saturday also showed Whatcom County has had 207 hospitalizations, an increase of six from Friday’s report.
The state reported that a total of 131,780 molecular tests have been administered in Whatcom County during the pandemic — an increase of 290 tests from Friday’s report.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham, which is licensed and staffed for 241 beds, reported to The Bellingham Herald on Saturday it was treating 18 patients for COVID-19, one less from Friday.
St. Joseph will ban visitors at the medical center until further notice, starting at 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 11, while COVID-19 remains a public health threat, according to a Friday Facebook post.
The Lummi Tribal Health Center reported in a Facebook post 13 new cases Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the Lummi community during the pandemic to 186. The Lummi health department reported it had 41 active cases. During the pandemic, six people have been hospitalized, but there have been no related deaths and the health center has conducted 3,392 tests. Positive tests for the last two weeks are at 16%, tripling the 5% positive rate since the pandemic began in March. The Lummi Indian Business Council has issued a Phase 1 Shelter in Place Order through Jan. 12.
Whatcom’s risk assessment
The state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard was last updated Friday evening for data as of 11:59 p.m. Dec. 23. With a shift to “Healthy Washington” goals to resume business activities, the state was more specific on reporting dates for some metrics. The dashboard does not update on the weekends.
Whatcom County was missing the marks on two key metrics.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents Dec. 1-14 with a rate of 213.9.
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 molecular testing rate per 100,000 people Dec. 7-13 of 95.4 No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 296.9. The state’s incomplete testing data is likely impacting this metric.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of less than 2.0% of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 Dec. 7-13 with a rate of 14.3%. The state’s incomplete testing data is likely impacting this metric.
The latest Healthcare System Readiness risk assessment dashboard, updated Friday evening for data through Dec. 23, shows for the North region, which combines Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan and Island counties:
▪ Occupied beds: 992 of the region’s 1,215 adult hospital beds (81.6%) were occupied, missing the state’s goal of 80% or less.
▪ COVID occupied beds: 126 of the region’s 1,215 adult hospital beds (10.4%) were occupied by COVID patients, missing the state’s goal of 10% or less.
▪ Occupied ICU beds: 78 of the region’s 140 adult ICU beds (55.7%) were occupied as of Dec. 24. The state does not have a goal for this metric, but the occupancy statewide was 80.1%.
▪ COVID occupied ICU beds: 29 of the region’s 140 adult ICU beds (20.7%) were occupied by COVID patients as of Dec. 24. The state does not have a goal for this metric, but the occupancy statewide was 19.9%.
Lynden, Blaine schools update
Lynden School District secondary students in grades six to 12 will re-start in-person classes Monday, Jan. 11., according to an email from Superintendent Jim Frey.
“The year has been challenging for everyone, Frey said. “Our schools, staff, students and families have worked hard to make being in-person possible and I can’t say enough about the dedication and commitment of our staff to adjust to changing circumstances.”
Preschool students are already on their regular schedule and kindergarten-grade 5 students attend school full days four days a week, “with mitigation and distancing protocols in place,” Frey said.
The district has had eight students and staff members test positive for COVID-19, resulting in the temporary closure of four classes, according to the district’s online dashboard that lists COVID-19 cases for students and staff.
The Blaine School District is also making a change on Monday, Jan. 11, with a return of all grade levels to hybrid learning, according to an email from Superintendent Christopher Granger. The district’s calendar shows cohorts switching between in-class and home learning Monday-Thursday with Friday at-home learning for all.
Nooksack Valley schools
Nooksack Valley middle school and high school students will return to in-person classes Tuesday, Jan. 12, on a half-day, two-days-per-week hybrid schedule, according to district spokeswoman Cindy Stockwell in an email to The Herald.
The district is planning to increase in-person learning for both middle school and high school students in February, she said.
Nooksack Valley kindergarten to fifth-grade students already attend classes in person full days Tuesday-Friday with remote learning on Monday.
About 85% of the district’s younger students are attending in person, Stockwell said. “Full remote learning options continued to be offered for elementary students and families.”
Students with internet connectivity issues or those needing additional support attend classes five half-days per week, she said.
“We anticipate approximately 90% of our (grade) 6-12 students will be attending school in person next week. Full remote learning options continue to be offered,” Stockwell said.
Numbers elsewhere
New coronavirus cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Saturday afternoon:
▪ The U.S. has more than 22.09 million reported cases, the most of any nation, and more than 371,989 deaths.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 89.51 million reported cases and 1.92 million deaths.
Washington state reported these numbers from the Department of Health Saturday afternoon:
▪ 260,360 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,913 from reported cases on Friday.
▪ 11,235 probable cases, an increase of 624 change from Friday’s data.
▪ 15,771 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, an increase of 214 from data Friday.
▪ 4,034,774 total molecular tests, an increase of 24,990 from Friday’s data.
▪ 3,698 deaths related to COVID-19. A decrease of one from Friday’s data, meaning that 1.4% of the state residents who have tested positive for COVID during the pandemic have died. New deaths are not reported on the weekends.
Washington state actions
In the “Healthy Washington” plan introduced by Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday, Jan. 5, business resumption is tied to targets by health system regions. Whatcom is tied to Skagit, San Juan and Island counties in the plan.
The state will run analyses each Friday to determine whether regions will move backward or forward in phases the following Monday, officials said.
All regions begin in Phase 1 on Jan. 11. It allows live entertainment with ticketed groups of up to 10 people and very limited fitness activities such as appointment-based training in gyms.
