Whatcom’s COVID infection and hospitalization rates continue decline to mid-July levels
Whatcom County’s weekly COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates dropped to their lowest marks since mid July, and even the county’s COVID-related death total dropped on Monday.
The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard reported reduced Whatcom pandemic total of COVID-related deaths by one on Monday, March 21, to 286 total deaths. Similar adjustments have been made throughout the pandemic as the Department of Health receives updated information and verifies data totals.
Whatcom’s weekly infection rate also dropped to 55 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from March 6-13, which was down from 95 one week earlier (Feb. 27 to March 5) and the lowest rate the county has seen since it stood at 49 July 15-21.
Additionally, the county’s weekly COVID-related hospitalization rate dropped to 4.0 patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from March 6-13 — down from 8.3 one week earlier (Feb. 27 to March 5) and the county’s lowest since it stood at 3.5 from July 20-26.
One number that was up was the COVID-related patients reported by St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham, which climbed one to seven on Tuesday, March 22. The daily snapshot has averaged 4.9 COVID-related patients the past week, which represents 1.1% of the hospital’s 252 total inpatient beds.
Monday’s report from the state included 62 total new COVID-19 cases (confirmed and probable combined) for Whatcom County. The latest report on the state dashboard, which is updated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, also shows Whatcom has:
▪ 32,486 confirmed cases during the pandemic — up 60 from the last report.
▪ 4,497 additional probable COVID cases during the pandemic — up two from the last report — resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
▪ 1,497 COVID-related hospitalizations during the pandemic — up six from the last report.
▪ 370,332 vaccinations administered during the pandemic — up 103 from the last report. The state reports 74.7% of Whatcom County’s total population has initiated vaccination and 68.3% has completed it.
▪ 86,908 booster vaccine doses administered and 60.9% of Whatcom’s residents eligible to receive a booster dose have done so.
