After receiving 700 COVID vaccine doses last week, how many should Whatcom expect now?
Whatcom County will receive more than four times the amount of COVID-19 vaccine than was sent last week from the state, Health Director Erika Lautenbach said.
In addition, Health Department officials feel optimistic that the North Region, including Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties, can advance to Phase 2 of the state’s Roadmap to Recovery and ease restrictions on business operations and social gatherings.
“We are feeling that we are on our way — albeit slowly — out of the woods,” Lautenbach told the Bellingham City Council during an online meeting Monday night, Feb. 8.
Whatcom County’s vaccine allotment for this week is 3,000 doses, Lautenbach said.
At a County Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9, Lautenbach updated that number to 3,275 doses, including 100 doses being reserved for a pilot mobile-vaccination program run by the health hepartment.
“We’re going to work out the kinks this week,” she said Tuesday.
Last week’s vaccine supply was 700 doses, she told the Whatcom County Council in a Feb. 2 meeting.
A total of 34 providers have been approved by the state to inoculate people in Whatcom County, from small pharmacies and private medical clinics to large chains and the PeaceHealth system, Lautenbach said Monday.
Providers countywide could administer 8,000 to 9,000 doses per week if supply reaches that point, she said Feb. 2.
“We’re really doing our best to communicate what we’re doing as far as vaccines,” Lautenbach said. “We have a lot of people eligible, and we’re starting to make some progress.”
Now that the vaccine supply seems to be increasing, Lautenbach said that city and county officials are working on a mass vaccination site, antibody testing, and a mobile vaccine service to reach those who can’t get to a vaccination clinic.
Moving to Phase 2?
Lautenbach said that the North Region is meeting three of four benchmarks required for Phase 2 advancement in Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Health Washington — Roadmap to Recovery” plan.
“We appear as though we are well-positioned to move to Phase 2,” Lautenbach said.
Phase 2 advancement requires meeting three of four requirements by having a 10% reduction in the COVID-19 case rate; a 10% decline in hospitalizations; less than 10% positive COVID testing rate; and a less than 90% ICU occupancy rate.
While much of the state remains in Phase 1, along with the North region, two regions — the Puget Sound and West — moved to Phase 2 Feb. 1 when Inslee modified the plan.
“We at this time do see a decline in our case rate but not necessarily in our hospitalizations,” Lautenbach said.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 9:53 AM.
