Whatcom returns to CDC’s ‘low’ COVID community level, but 2 regions would still be ‘high’
After one week at “medium,” Whatcom County returned to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “low” COVID-19 community level last week.
For the first time since the CDC began ranking the COVID threat level in each county, Whatcom received a “medium” ranking on May 5. But as of the latest CDC rankings released Thursday, May 12, the county was back in the “low” range.
However, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the latest location data released Thursday by the Whatcom County Health Department found that if the CDC boiled data down to the same school district regions that the county uses, two regions within Whatcom would received “high” community level grades.
The region covered by the Blaine School District found itself in the “high” rankings for a third straight week, while the Bellingham region joined it for the first time.
On the positive side, the Ferndale and Mount Baker regions, which a week earlier were in the “high” and “medium” rankings, respectively, returned to the “low” range along with Whatcom’s other three regions.
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.
As of Thursday, St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 11 COVID-related patients. That would give it an average of 8.7 COVID-related patients per day over the past week (May 5-11), or 3.5% of the hospital’s 252 inpatient beds. For the record, the hospital averaged 7.4 patients per day a week earlier (April 28 to May 4).
While masking is recommended for everyone for counties with “high” community levels, the CDC only recommends face coverings only for those who are at high risk of serious complications from COVID and those who could expose those at high risk for counties in the “medium” range. Masking in most indoor situations is not included among the CDC’s recommended guidelines for communities in the “low” level.
At every level, the CDC says people “can wear a mask based on personal preference” and should wear a mask if they have COVID symptoms, test positive or have possible exposure.
Overall, three regions saw their weekly infection rates increase, three decreased and one was unchanged, The Herald found, and the Nooksack Valley region was the only region with a weekly infection rate of fewer than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents.
Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county for the week of May 1-7:
▪ Bellingham: Had 326 new cases, 14 new hospitalizations and one new death reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 16,315 cases, 535 hospitalizations and 143 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 244 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 197 one week earlier.
▪ Blaine: Had 52 new cases, three new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 3,323 cases, 123 hospitalizations and 23 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 294 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 406 one week earlier.
▪ Ferndale: Had 50 new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 7,230 cases, 331 hospitalizations and 52 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 148 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 222 one week earlier.
▪ Lynden: Had 27 new cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 5,473 cases, 264 hospitalizations and 38 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 130 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 121 one week earlier.
▪ Meridian: Had 13 new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 1,856 cases, 79 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 110 cases per 100,000 residents was unchanged from one week earlier.
▪ Mount Baker: Had 22 new cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,137 cases, 122 hospitalizations and 17 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 146 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 113 one week earlier.
▪ Nooksack Valley: Had five new cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,608 cases, 113 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly infection rate of 46 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 92 one week earlier.
