Whatcom County sees 19 new COVID cases and one death Friday, still within Phase 3 goals
Whatcom County saw one related death and 19 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Washington State Department of Health’s coronavirus dashboard Friday, April 2.
Overall, Whatcom County has seen 7,342 confirmed cases and 88 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 1. An additional 245 probable cases — up four from Thursday’s report — have been reported in Whatcom County during the pandemic, resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
That means that 1.2% of Whatcom’s 7,587 total cases (confirmed and probable cases combined) have resulted in death — better than the statewide 1.4% average of total cases.
The COVID-related death reported Friday was the 33rd Whatcom has had reported in 2021.
The county’s daily average of newly reported cases the past seven days decreased to 21.0 per day.
Whatcom County is currently in Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery plan. To remain in Phase 3, Whatcom must make two goals set by the state on the next data evaluation date scheduled for April 12:
▪ The county must have fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 residents in a two-week period. Whatcom’s infection rate was 141.6 between March 10 and 23, according to the latest update of state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard on Friday, meaning Whatcom is currently making the first goal.
▪ The county must also have fewer than five new COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents per seven days. Whatcom had four COVID-related hospitalizations (or 1.77 per 100,000 residents) from March 8-14 — the most recent complete data on the state’s epidemiological curves — meaning Whatcom is currently making the second goal, according to an analysis by The Bellingham Herald.
Other Whatcom data
▪ 338 total hospitalizations during the pandemic according to the state dashboard, up three from Thursday’s report.
▪ 206,532 molecular tests administered, according to the state dashboard, up 13 from Thursday’s report.
▪ Friday’s vaccination report said that as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, Whatcom County had administered 86,932 vaccinations. The state estimates 29.16% of Whatcom County residents (74,358 people) have initiated a COVID-19 vaccine and 18.41% of Whatcom County residents (46,945 people) are fully vaccinated.
Whatcom’s risk assessment
The state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard was last updated Friday evening for data as of 11:59 p.m. Thursday. It showed:
▪ Whatcom is missing the target rate of fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents March 10-23 with a rate of 141.6 — down from Thursday and the 11th-highest infection rate in the state.
▪ Whatcom had an average COVID-19 molecular testing rate per 100,000 people March 9-15 of 297.1. No goal was stated for this metric, however, the overall statewide number was 225.8 but Whatcom’s average was down from the 299.0 reported Thursday.
▪ Whatcom is missing the target of less than 2.0% of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 March 9-15 with a rate of 3.4% — up from the 3.3% reported Thursday and the 19th-highest rate in the state.
Railway collection transferred
Another victim of the new coronavirus pandemic is the Bellingham Railway Museum, which closed its doors in June and moved its historical collections, displays and model-train layouts.
Museums were among the places affected by March 2020 closure orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and small museums severely felt the revenue loss.
“(The year) 2020 was pretty devastating,” said Museum Executive Director Shelissa Griffin.
“(Our) collection was transferred to the Northwest Railway Museum as per previous agreement with them,” Griffin told The Bellingham Herald.
At its location on Commercial Avenue downtown, the Railway Museum featured photos and artifacts, from Bellingham’s railroad history, including photos of the former depot, roundhouse and Railroad Avenue with its four parallel tracks.
It featured operating train layouts and a children’s area and museum staff participated in the annual Smithsonian Museum Day event for more than a decade downtown.
Museum staff also offered rides on historic railroad speeder cars for several years.
—Robert Mittendorf, rmittendorf@bhamherald.com.
▪ Week of April 4: 458,340 total doses, including 285,320 first doses and 173,020 second doses. Among those, the state is expecting 201,240 Pfizer doses, 148,100 Moderna doses and 109,000 Johnson & Johnson doses.
▪ Week of April 18: 390,340 total doses, including 217,320 first doses and 173,020 second doses. Among those, the state is expecting 201,240 Pfizer doses, 148,100 Moderna doses and 41,000 Johnson & Johnson doses.
Numbers elsewhere
New coronavirus cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Friday evening:
▪ The U.S. has more than 30.60 million reported cases, the most of any nation, and more than 553,979 deaths.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 130.10 million reported cases and 2.83 million deaths.
Washington state reported these numbers from the Department of Health Friday evening:
▪ 343,463 confirmed cases, up 1,194 from reported cases Thursday.
▪ 23,652 probable cases, up 159 from Thursday’s data.
▪ 20,652 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, up 33 from data Thursday.
▪ 5,953,483 total molecular tests, up 22,297 from Thursday’s data.
▪ 5,278 deaths related to COVID-19, up 16 from Thursday’s data. That means 1.4% of all Washington residents who have tested positive for coronavirus have died.
According to the state’s latest Friday vaccination report:
▪ 3,471,343 vaccinations had been given as of Wednesday, March 31, an increase of 145,345 from the previous report (4.36%).
▪ The state has averaged administering 57,321 doses of vaccines the past seven days — more than the Department of Health’s stated daily goal of 45,000, and up from the average 55,894 reported Wednesday.
▪ The state estimated that 28.93% of the state’s residents have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 17.86% percent of residents are fully vaccinated.
▪ 82.17% of the 4,224,370 doses that have been distributed to Washington state providers and long-term care centers have been administered.
This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
