Whatcom County finishes week with 769 new COVID-19 cases and 6 related deaths reported
Whatcom County wrapped up the week before the Super Bowl with large increases in COVID-19 cases and related deaths reported on Friday.
Whatcom’s COVID-19 case total increased by 769 new cases to a pandemic total of 36,154 cases, according to the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard on Friday, Feb. 11, while six new COVID-related deaths were reported to bring the county’s total to 252.
The deaths reported Friday were for people who first tested positive for COVID on Dec. 31, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan. 14, Jan. 17 and Jan. 27, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the state’s epidemiological data showed. Those deaths brought the number of COVID-related deaths epidemiologically linked to December to 29 and 27 in January. There has been one, so far, linked to February.
Since Dec. 19, which is approximately when Whatcom County began to see the omicron surge, there have been 39 epidemiological deaths, The Herald found.
With 13,772 total cases (confirmed and probable combined) in the county since Dec. 19 Whatcom has seen 0.3% of cases during that time frame result in death, The Herald’s analysis showed. That is better than the county’s total pandemic death average of 0.7% of cases.
No other information about the people whose deaths were reported Friday, such as their age, gender, vaccination status or hometown, was reported.
Through data reported by the Whatcom County Health Department Thursday, Feb. 10, 88% of the first 246 COVID-related deaths in the county were in residents 60 and older, including 119 deaths in residents 80 and older. Though the county has not seen any deaths of people younger than 30, the data shows, the deaths of five residents in their 30s and 13 residents in their 40s have been linked to COVID-19.
The Herald’s analysis of data reported weekly by the county also shows that between Dec. 19 and Jan. 29, 63% of Whatcom’s 41 reported deaths (26 deaths) have been among residents who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Other Whatcom numbers
Despite the big reported increase in COVID cases, the county’s infection rate dropped to 968 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, the state dashboard showed on Friday. That was down from 1,377 one week earlier (Jan. 16-22) and marked the first time the rate has been lower than 1,000 since it stood at 968 from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4.
The latest report on the state dashboard, which is now only updated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, also shows Whatcom County has:
▪ 31,669 confirmed cases during the pandemic — up 577 from the last report.
▪ 4,485 additional probable COVID cases during the pandemic — up 192 from the last report — resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
▪ 1,394 COVID-related hospitalizations during the pandemic — up 15 from the last report.
▪ St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 33 patients with COVID-related symptoms on Friday, which was down six from its last report and matched the lowest snapshot the hospital has seen since it reported 29 on Dec. 29.
▪ A weekly COVID-related hospitalization rate of 25.4 patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological hospitalization data from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29 — down from 30.7 from a week earlier (Jan. 16-22).
▪ 348,103 total tests (molecular and antigen combined). The state reported that an “unexpected delay” has once again pushed back the resumption of its reporting of testing data until approximately Feb. 28.
▪ 363,515 vaccinations administered during the pandemic — up 1,022 from the last report. The state reports 74.0% of Whatcom County’s total population has initiated vaccination and 67.4% has completed it. The state also reports Whatcom has administered 82,467 “additional doses,” which includes third doses for immunocompromised residents and booster doses, have been administered.
Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data Tracker Friday listed Whatcom’s level of transmission as “High” — the highest of four categories. All of the 39 counties in Washington state and all but 49 counties nationwide also were listed in the “High” transmission category.
The CDC also estimates that 52.1% of Whatcom County’s fully-vaccinated population has received a booster dose.
This story was originally published February 12, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
