As state mask mandate about to end, CDC says Whatcom’s COVID community level remains ‘low’
With Washington state’s indoor masking mandate only hours away from ending on Saturday, March 12, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Whatcom County’s COVID-19 community level remained “low.”
The CDC began ranking the level of COVID-19 threat on a county-by-county basis and providing guidelines for each of three levels two weeks ago, updating rankings on Thursday evenings. Though Whatcom started in the “medium” level on Feb. 24, it dropped to the “low” ranking last week, and the newest rankings released Thursday, March 10, show the county remained there.
To obtain a “low” ranking, counties must have:
▪ A weekly COVID-19 infection rate of fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 residents.
▪ Fewer than 10 new COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in a week.
▪ Less than 10% of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-related patients.
The CDC used March 3-9 for case information and March 2-8 for hospitalization data for Thursday’s rankings.
The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard was last updated Wednesday, March 9, and though data is incomplete and likely to change, Whatcom County currently has a weekly infection rate of 123 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 5.7 patients per 100,000 residents.
Between March 2 and March 8, daily snapshots reported by St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham averaged 14 COVID-related patients per day, which represents approximately 5.6% of the 252 total inpatient beds at the hospital.
With a “low” COVID-19 community level, the CDC recommends residents:
▪ Stay up to date with COVID vaccines and boosters.
▪ Maintain improved ventilation in indoor spaces when possible.
▪ Follow guidelines for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested for COVID-19 if you experience symptoms or believe you have been exposed.
▪ Have a plan for rapid testing if you are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe complications from COVID-19.
Under CDC guidelines, indoor masking in counties with “low” community levels is optional in most places, and with the state dropping its masking mandate on Saturday it is no longer required.
“Keep in mind that a ‘low’ community level doesn’t mean that COVID-19 is over for good,” the Whatcom County Health Department said in a Facebook post Thursday. “There will still be outbreaks in places like schools that will require testing, masking, and isolation, so be prepared for that possibility.
“Like an umbrella or warm coat that we bring out in bad weather, masks will be a part of our lives when infections are on the rise.”
Statewide, 29 of the 39 counties in Washington are in the “low” community level, according to the CDC’s update. Nine more are in the “medium” community level, and only Asotin County in the southeast corner of the state is “high.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 9:18 AM.
