COVID infection rates increase across Whatcom, but 2 regions reach vaccination milestones
A week after COVID-19 infection rates in all seven Whatcom County school district regions dropped, all seven regions saw increases last week.
While areas covered by the Lynden and Nooksack Valley school districts saw their number of new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks swell to more than 660, no region in the county had a rate lower than 250, according to the latest location data released by the Whatcom County Health Department on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Every region except Meridian saw its pandemic total number of cases increase by more than 3% last week.
Fueling the growth in most regions were higher rates among Whatcom County’s school-aged residents. In every region but Ferndale, residents between the ages of 5 and 17 had the highest weekly case rates, according to the health department data. In Ferndale, it was residents between the ages of 25 and 44 that owned the highest weekly infection rates, according to the health department data.
Countywide, the weekly infection rate for residents between 5 and 17 years old was 325 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the county’s data, which was its highest mark since 334 on Sept. 21.
Two regions also reached vaccination milestones last week, as 75% of Bellingham residents have initiated vaccination, and 50% of Nooksack Valley residents have started vaccination, leaving Mount Baker as the only region that does not have half its population initiating vaccination.
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, infection rate, hospitalization rate, percentage of residents who have initiated vaccination and a breakdown of case rates by age. Data in this week’s report was through Saturday, Oct. 23.
Overall, Whatcom County saw a 3.5% growth in cases with 548 cases between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23 — up from the 349 new cases the county reported the previous week, according to the data.
With 897 cases in the past two weeks, Whatcom County has an overall two-week infection rate of 399, based on 225,300 residents in the county. Four of the county’s regions had infection rates lower than that mark, according to the county’s data this week.
As of Oct. 20, the Washington State Department of Health reported that 66.4% of all Whatcom County residents had initiated vaccination and 61.3% had completed it.
Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county:
Bellingham: Up 3.3% (185 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 5,748 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 246 last week to 256 this week. Approximately 75% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen six COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 in the past two weeks.
Blaine: Up 3.9% (47 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 1,256 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 207 last week to 265 this week. Approximately 68% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen 11 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Ferndale: Up 4.0% (123 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 3,191 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 331 last week to 466 this week. Approximately 64% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen 11 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Lynden: Up 3.5% (93 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 2,781 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 609 last week to 665 this week. Approximately 53% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen 14 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Meridian: Up 2.8% (26 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 957 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 267 last week to 339 this week. Approximately 62% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen 18 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Mount Baker: Up 3.2% (30 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 965 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 255 last week to 261 this week. Approximately 45% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen 19 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
Nooksack Valley: Up 3.6% (44 cases) since the Oct. 19 report to 1,254 total cases, and the rate of new infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days increased from 628 last week to 662 this week. Approximately 50% of residents in the region have initiated vaccination, and the region has seen nine COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
