One Whatcom region sees its COVID-19 infection rate climb, as decreases slow elsewhere
Only one of Whatcom County’s seven school district regions saw its COVID-19 infection rate increase last week, though the rate of decrease in a number of other regions slowed, according to data released Tuesday, Feb. 9, by the Whatcom County Health Department.
The news comes one week after the county saw infection rates in all seven region decrease for the first time since regional rates began being released in late July.
Ferndale was the only region to see its two-week rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents climb last week, though the Meridian and Nooksack Valley regions’ infection rates were unchanged.
The good news was Lynden, which has seen the highest infection rate of Whatcom’s seven regions in the last two data releases, had the largest decrease this week, as its rate decreased by nearly a quarter.
The county health department releases weekly data on the location of COVID-19 cases using school districts as geographical boundaries, including each region’s number of total cases during the pandemic and their infection rates. Data in Tuesday’s report was through Saturday, Feb. 6, and the infection rates reflect cases between Jan. 24 and Feb. 6.
All seven regions once again had infection rates higher than 100, continuing a string since the Dec. 8 report., but Mount Baker was joined by Bellingham as the only regions lower than 200 this week.
Overall, the county saw a 6.3% growth in cases (350 cases) since the last data release on Feb. 2 — a decrease from the 7.0% growth and 359 new cases seen the previous week, according to the county’s data.
With 709 cases the past two weeks, according to the report, Whatcom County overall has an infection rate of 315.1, based on 225,000 residents in the county. Three of the county’s regions had infection rates higher than that mark, according to the county’s data.
Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county:
Bellingham: Up 4.5% (92 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 2,147 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 222 to 184.
Blaine: Up 6.4% (21 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 351 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 324 to 296.
Ferndale: Up 10.4% (114 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 1,170 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 466 to 580.
Lynden: Up 6.5% (60 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 977 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 805 to 623.
Meridian: Up 6.8% (21 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 332 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days remained at 325.
Mount Baker: Up 3.6% (11 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 319 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days decreased from 177 to 158.
Nooksack Valley: Up 6.5% (35 cases) since the Feb. 2 report to 576 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days remained at 632.
