Whatcom sees 35 new COVID-19 cases before the holiday, hospitalizations double in four days
Whatcom County saw 120 new COVID-19 cases reported last week, down from 165 the week before, according to the Washington State Department of Health’s coronavirus dashboard, but saw local hospitalizations go from a low of eight on Saturday, May 29, to 17 on Tuesday, June 1.
The state’s latest report showed Whatcom County had 35 new COVID-19 cases and no related deaths on Friday, May 28. The state didn’t post numbers over the Memorial Day holiday.
Overall, Whatcom County has seen 9,047 confirmed cases, 427 hospitalizations — up one from the last report — and 98 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data. An additional 371 probable cases — no change from the last report — have been reported in Whatcom County during the pandemic, resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
With the 35 new cases reported Saturday, May 29, Whatcom County’s daily average of new reported cases over the past week increased to 31.4, higher than the 27.9 average from one week earlier.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 17 COVID-related patients on Tuesday, June 1 — up from holiday weekend patient reports of eight, nine and 11.
During the pandemic, 1.0% of Whatcom’s 9,418 total cases (confirmed and probable cases combined) have resulted in death — better than the statewide 1.3% average of total cases.
The latest vaccination report, from Friday, May 28, showed Whatcom County has administered 187,758 vaccine doses and estimated that 61.92% of the county’s residents 16 and older have initiated vaccination, while 54.42% have completed it. Statewide, those averages were 61.79% initiating vaccination and 52.31% completing it.
On May 18 all counties throughout the state returned to Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery plan. Additionally, Inslee announced May 13 that the state will fully reopen by June 30 — earlier if 70% of all residents 16 and older initiate vaccination.
Though data other than vaccinations is no longer measured in the reopening plan, Whatcom County would still be failing both of two metrics the state previously used to determine if it would stay in Phase 3.
▪ The county has an infection rate of 210.1 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents between May 7-20, the latest data available, according to the state’s Risk Assessment Dashboard, meaning Whatcom would have failed to meet the state guideline of 200 or less to remain in Phase 3. Whatcom is one of 16 of the state’s 39 counties that would fail.
▪ The county averaged 5.77 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents from May 12-18, according to The Herald’s analysis of the state epidemiological data, meaning Whatcom would have missed the state guideline of 5.0 or less to remain in Phase 3.
WTA buses returning to regular service
Buses in Whatcom County are returning to regular service later this month, ending its fare waiver as the pandemic eases and the number of riders increases.
Regular bus service resumes Sunday, June 13, and the $1 per ride fare resumes July 1, Whatcom Transportation Authority spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy said in a statement Tuesday, June 2.
“Requests for pre-COVID levels of service have been rising and increased demand is expected to continue through the late summer and the fall. In addition, WTA is now confident in its ability to predict the availability of staff and other resources,” McCarthy said.
Masks will still be required as part of a federal mandate for public transportation, she said.
High school students and those 17 and younger ride free.
WTA, which provides scheduled bus service and paratransit in Bellingham and Whatcom County, cut service by about one-third and made rides in spring 2020 free amid uncertainty as the pandemic worsened.
Ridership dropped and WTA officials were uncertain about the availability of staff and other resources, McCarthy said.
“WTA’s readiness to resume fare collection is based on the ongoing federal mask-wearing requirement on public transportation, the installation of clear protective barriers in all WTA buses, a high percentage of bus drivers being vaccinated, and rising levels of vaccination among community members,” she said.
— Robert Mittendorf, rmittendorf@bhamherald.com
Numbers elsewhere
New coronavirus cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Tuesday morning:
▪ The U.S. has more than 33.27 million reported cases, more than 594,718 deaths — both most of any nation — and 294.8 million vaccine doses administered, second only to China, which reports 661.46 million.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 170.83 million reported cases, 3.55 million deaths and 1.92 billion vaccine doses administered.
Washington state reported these numbers from the Department of Health Saturday afternoon:
▪ 401,526 confirmed cases, up 911 from the last report.
▪ 34,323 probable cases, up 155 from the last report.
▪ 24,131 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, up 56 from the last report.
▪ 7,154,082 total molecular tests, up 14,883 from the last report.
▪ 5,765 deaths related to COVID-19, with deaths not reported on the weekends.
This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 12:05 PM.
