People in small gatherings partly to blame for Whatcom’s recent coronavirus surge
New COVID-19 cases more than doubled last week in Whatcom County, a bump that’s being attributed in part to people getting together instead of staying apart to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
That increase in cases — 29 for the week ending May 2 compared to 11 for the previous week — prompted the head of the Whatcom County Health Department to urge residents to stay the course and stay home.
“We all want to go back to normal, and it’s all too easy to want to waver in our commitment to staying home and staying apart. But it’s worth it to remain committed to these actions. It’s worth it because we’re still seeing new cases in our community each day,” Erika Lautenbach, director for the Whatcom County Health Department, said in a media briefing on Monday morning, May 4.
Public health officials said gatherings are partly responsible for the increase in cases.
“We just want to remind folks not to visit friends and family because while you may be missing them, they could be carrying the virus and that’s a concern for us,” Lautenbach said.
Public health officials didn’t provide specific details about the gatherings.
But Lummi Nation’s leaders have reported 15 new cases in a three-day period, from April 30 and May 2.
On Friday, the tribe’s health department said that the first 13 new cases in that surge all involved people younger than 40, adding that members were not following the tribe’s shelter at home order and that part of the cluster involved families visiting other households.
On Monday night, the Whatcom County Health Department provided additional information about the increase in cases, after The Bellingham Herald asked if there were private gatherings other than those reported by Lummi Nation.
“We continue to see small numbers of cases associated with various clusters, some but not all of which are associated with people gathering together in private groups,” Cindy Hollinsworth, communicable disease and epidemiology manager for the Whatcom County Health Department, told The Bellingham Herald.
“Some are related to people traveling to work or gatherings in other counties, and some are new cases who were close contacts of other confirmed cases — not necessarily a cluster from a gathering,” Hollinsworth said.
So far, the peak for new cases in Whatcom County occurred in the two weeks ending April 4, when there were a combined 206 cases.
As some start to chafe against the statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, which Gov. Jay Inslee has extended through the end of May with a phased approach to re-opening the state’s economy, there’s additional concern because the weather in Whatcom County is expected to be sunny and in the 70s this week.
It’s OK to get outside, just stay 6 feet away from others and wear a mask, Lautenbach said.
“We don’t discourage people from being healthy and from getting out on trails and going for walks,” she said. “It’s important for our physical and mental health, but just practicing those safety and social distancing measures will go a long way.”
She also essentially urged people to continue to stay the course, saying public health officials understand that it’s been hard to do so.
“We are not immune to the pressure, and we are not without empathy for the concerns that people have. We recognize that people are restless, that they want to get back to work, that they are under incredible financial stress, especially business owners,” Lautenbach said.
“We recognize that people are suffering mentally because they need physical and social connection with friends and family. And yet we know an additional wave could result in further lock-downs, further Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders,” she said.
Mild symptoms testing
On Monday, Lautenbach also encouraged people to get tested if they’re sick and have symptoms of COVID-19.
Testing capacity has increased in Whatcom County and the health department has expanded its testing recommendations to those with mild symptoms.
That’s a change from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when testing here and elsewhere in the U.S. was severely limited because there weren’t enough tests.
The health department also expanded the list of symptoms that people should be aware of based on an update from the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention as more has been learned about the new coronavirus.
People should now ask their doctors to be tested if they have the following symptoms:
▪ Fever higher than 100.4 Fahrenheit.
▪ Cough.
▪ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
▪ Chills.
▪ Repeated shaking with chills.
▪ Muscle aches.
▪ Headache.
▪ Sore throat.
▪ Loss of taste or smell that’s new.
People who can’t get scheduled for testing quickly can call the health department at 360-778-6100 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for help with testing, officials said.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 5:02 PM.
