Whatcom sees 15 new COVID cases and two more related hospitalizations Tuesday
Whatcom County saw 15 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Washington State Department of Health’s coronavirus dashboard Tuesday, June 22, and two additional related hospitalizations, but no new deaths.
Overall, the state reports Whatcom County has seen 9,427 confirmed cases, 468 hospitalizations and 103 related deaths during the pandemic. An additional 419 probable cases — up six from the last report — have been reported in Whatcom County during the pandemic, resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating seven patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, June 23, down one from the previous report.
With the 15 new reported cases, Whatcom County’s daily average of reported cases increased to 13.7 over the past week, which was up from the 9.9 average from one week earlier (June 9-15).
The county’s infection rate was 121.9 cases per 100,000 residents based on the most recent complete data between June 1 and 14, according to the state’s Risk Assessment dashboard. The county also averaged 7.0 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents between June 5 and 11 according to analysis by The Bellingham Herald of the latest complete hospitalization data on the state’s epidemiological curves
The state’s vaccination report on Monday, June 21, showed Whatcom County has administered 221,218 vaccine doses and estimated that 68.5% of the county’s residents 16 and older have initiated vaccination, while 61.7% have completed it.
Whatcom vaccine update
The Whatcom County Health Department’s latest vaccine update Tuesday, once again did not include the number of vaccine doses county providers are expecting this week.
The update, however, did include a number of that will be available throughout the county this week and over the weekend:
▪ PeaceHealth COVID Vaccine Clinic: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 25 at 3333 Squalicum Parkway in Bellingham. The Pfizer vaccine will be distributed. Those receiving the vaccine do not need to be a PeaceHealth patient. Appointments made online or by phone, 833-375-0285, are encouraged, but walk-ins are allowed. This is the last mass vaccination clinic at PeaceHealth’s Health Education Center.
▪ Nooksack Health Clinic: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, and noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 24, at the Nooksack Community Building, 2515 Sulwahanon Drive, Everson. First and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. Tribal members will be prioritized, but everyone is welcome.
▪ Old Lynden Middle School gym: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, June 25, at 516 Main St. in Lynden. The vaccine type is still to be determined. COVID testing also will be available.
▪ Lummi Island clinic: 10 a.m. Sunday, June 27, at Millers Farm, 2206 Tuttle Lane, Lummi Island. The first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine will be available. Appointments aren’t necessary but can be made online.
“We’re not quite where we need to be to reopen early, but we’re doing really well, Whatcom,” the update read. “Right now, we’re (fourth) in the state for the number of eligible people who are fully vaccinated.”
“The more people we vaccinate, the safer our community will be. Let’s keep up the momentum!”
Delta variant update
A more transmissible variant of COVID-19, known as the Delta variant (B.1.617 or India variant), hasn’t been detected in Whatcom County, but it’s only a matter of time, said Whatcom County Health Officer Greg Stern in a presentation at a Bellingham City Council meeting Monday night.
There have been 206 cases of the Delta variant detected in Washington, primarily in King County, Stern said. A handful of those cases were also detected in Pierce and Snohomish County.
“It’s in the area,” Stern said. “We expect that the Delta virus is either here or will be detected.”
While case rates have declined countywide since peaks in November, January and April through May, Stern highlighted rising concern for unvaccinated community members as variants such as Delta spread. Experts expect Delta, first identified in India, to become the dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. by late summer or early fall.
“The best, most effective way to reduce that transmission will be to increase the vaccination rate,” Stern said.
All available vaccines, he said, are proven to at least partially protect against variants.
— Ysabelle Kempe, ykempe@bhamherald.com.
Numbers elsewhere
New coronavirus cases and deaths according to Johns Hopkins University Wednesday morning:
▪ The U.S. has more than 33.5 million reported cases, more than 602,000 deaths — both most of any nation — and 318.8 million vaccine doses administered.
▪ Worldwide, there are more than 179.2 million reported cases, 3.8 million deaths and 2.7 billion vaccine doses administered.
Washington state reported these numbers from the Department of Health Tuesday evening:
▪ 411,858 confirmed cases, up 316 from the last report.
▪ 36,284 probable cases, up 102 from the last report.
▪ 25,081 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, up 45 from the last report.
▪ 7,454,419 total molecular tests, up 341 from the last report.
▪ 5,843 deaths related to COVID-19, up five from the last report.
This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 8:25 AM.
