Are COVID community levels remaining low in all seven Whatcom County regions?
Though all seven Whatcom County school district regions have COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates that would keep them well within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “low” community level, three regions had particularly low infection rates.
The regions covered by the Lynden, Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley school districts all saw fewer than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents during the week of April 10-16, The Bellingham Herald’s found analyzing the latest data released by the Whatcom County Health Department on Thursday, April 21.
The other four regions — Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale and Meridian — all had infection rates higher than 50, but all were still below 80, which kept all four solidly within the CDC’s guidelines for “low” community levels.
COVID-related hospitalization rates also remained low across all seven regions, as Bellingham was the only region to see a new COVID-related patient during the week.
Not surprisingly, Whatcom County, as a whole, remained well within CDC’s “low” community level for an eighth straight week on Thursday, April 21.
To be classified in the “low” level by the CDC, counties must have:
▪ Fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days.
▪ Fewer than 10 new COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past seven days.
▪ Less than 10% of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
The CDC analyzed data April 18-24 for its latest community levels.
The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed Whatcom had a weekly infection rate of 95 new cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly infection rate of 1.8 new patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data April 5-11.
St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating seven COVID-related patients on Friday, April 22, which gave it an average daily snapshot of 4.7 patients over the past week, which was up from 1.9 one week earlier. It still represented only 1.9% of the hospital’s 252 inpatient beds, meaning the county, as a whole, is well below all three thresholds used by the CDC to determine COVID community levels.
All 39 counties in Washington state and 94.9% of all counties nationwide were classified in the “low” community level by the CDC in its latest update.
Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county for the week of April 10-16:
▪ Bellingham: Had 75 new cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 15,541 cases, 517 hospitalizations and 141 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 56 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 64 two weeks earlier.
▪ Blaine: Had nine new cases, no new hospitalizations and two new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 3,157 cases, 115 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 51 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 90 two weeks earlier.
▪ Ferndale: Had 20 new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 7,056 cases, 324 hospitalizations and 50 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 59 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 70 two weeks earlier.
▪ Lynden: Had two new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 5,404 cases, 262 hospitalizations and 37 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 10 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 19 two weeks earlier.
▪ Meridian: Had nine new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 1,825 cases, 79 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 76 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 27 two weeks earlier.
▪ Mount Baker: Had two new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,089 cases, 120 hospitalizations and 17 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of 13 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 37 two weeks earlier.
▪ Nooksack Valley: Had one new case, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,580 cases, 112 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. It’s weekly infection rate of nine cases per 100,000 residents was down from 26 two weeks earlier.
This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
