One Whatcom region would be at CDC’s high COVID community level, where masking recommended
If the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took its COVID-19 community level rankings down to school district regions, one Whatcom County region would find itself in the “high” range where masking in public locations is recommended.
Based on the most recently location data released by the Whatcom County Health Department on Thursday, April 28, and U.S. Census data, The Bellingham Herald’s data analysis found the region covered by the Blaine School District had a weekly COVID-19 infection rate of 237 cases per 100,000 people between April 17 and April 23 and a COVID-related hospitalization rate of 11 new hospitalizations per 100,000 people.
Both of those marks exceed the community level benchmarks set by the CDC of an infection rate of 200 and a hospitalization rate of 10, and that would push the region to the “high” level.
Whatcom’s six other regions all had COVID infection and hospitalization rates within the “low” community level, which is where the CDC had the county, as a whole, rated for a ninth straight week on Thursday, April 28.
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.
Masking for all people in most indoor situations is not included among the CDC’s recommended guidelines for communities in the “low” level.
The CDC analyzed data for April 20-26 for its latest community levels.
The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed Whatcom had a weekly infection rate of 108 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 12-18.
St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating nine COVID-related patients on Friday, April 29, which was up four from the last report and the hospital’s highest reported snapshot since 11 were reported March 7. Over the past seven days the hospital has averaged 5.0 patients per day, which was up from 4.7 one week earlier. It still represented only 2% 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.
Thirty-six of the 39 counties in Washington state and 90.3% of all counties nationwide were classified in the “low” community level by the CDC in its latest update.
Though Blaine was the only region where COVID rates had risen to the “high” community level, five others saw their infection rates climb last week and three others had higher hospitalization rates than the week before, The Herald’s analysis found.
Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county for the week of April 17-23:
▪ Bellingham: Had 185 new cases, no new hospitalizations and one new death reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 15,726 cases, 517 hospitalizations and 142 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 138 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 56 one week earlier.
▪ Blaine: Had 42 new cases, two new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 3,199 cases, 117 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 237 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 51 one week earlier.
▪ Ferndale: Had 49 new cases, three new hospitalizations and two new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 7,105 cases, 327 hospitalizations and 52 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 145 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 59 one week earlier.
▪ Lynden: Had 17 new cases, one new hospitalization and one new death reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 5,421 cases, 263 hospitalizations and 38 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 82 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 10 one week earlier.
▪ Meridian: Had five new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 1,830 cases, 79 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 42 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 76 one week earlier.
▪ Mount Baker: Had nine new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,098 cases, 120 hospitalizations and 17 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 60 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 13 one week earlier.
▪ Nooksack Valley: Had 13 new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,593 cases, 112 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 120 cases per 100,000 residents was up from nine one week earlier.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
