COVID cases are down, so why is Whatcom County still in the CDC’s ‘medium’ risk range?

Despite reported case rates dropping, Whatcom County is once again in the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “medium” community COVID-19 risk level.

It marked the fourth straight week and the eighth time in the past nine weeks Whatcom was in the CDC’s ‘medium’ range.

One school district region within the county would actually be in the “high” risk level, where masking is recommended for everyone in public situations, if the CDC were to drill down to that level, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the latest location data released Thursday, Aug. 4, by the Whatcom County Health Department showed.

Two others would receive “medium” grades, though all seven regions within the county had reported case rates that would have been low enough to receive “low” rankings, The Herald found.

Lagging COVID-related hospitalization rates were the lone reason Whatcom County did not receive a good report card from the CDC.

It was also the reason the region covered by the Meridian School District would be in the “high” range, while the Blaine and Ferndale regions would be “medium,” The Herald found. The Bellingham, Lynden, Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley regions all had case and hospitalization rates low enough to receive “low” grades.

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.

While masking is recommended for everyone in counties with “high” community levels, the CDC 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.

As of Friday, Aug. 5, St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 15 COVID-related patients. That would give it an average of 17.4 COVID-related patients per day over the past week (July 30 to Aug. 5) — up from 14.0 one week earlier (July 23-29) but still within the CDC’s “low” guidelines with 7.1% of the hospital’s 252 inpatient beds filled by COVID patients.

The Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard’s update on Wednesday, Aug. 3, showed Whatcom County had a weekly reported case rate of 164 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from July 19-25 and a hospitalization rate of 11.8 new COVID-related patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently complete epidemiological data from July 17-23.

For the entire pandemic, Whatcom County has had 44,935 cases with 1,816 hospitalizations and 320 deaths related to COVID-19, as of Wednesday’s dashboard update.

Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county for the week of July 24-30:

▪ Bellingham: Had 175 new reported cases, nine new hospitalizations and one new death reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 19,805 cases, 648 hospitalizations and 152 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 131 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 6.7 new patients per 100,000 residents.

▪ Blaine: Had 19 new reported cases, two new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 3,699 cases, 137 hospitalizations and 25 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 107 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 11.3 new patients per 100,000 residents.

▪ Ferndale: Had 63 new reported cases, four new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 8,117 cases, 380 hospitalizations and 54 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 187 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 11.9 new patients per 100,000 residents.

▪ Lynden: Had 24 new reported cases, two new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 5,820 cases, 279 hospitalizations and 39 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 116 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 9.6 new patients per 100,000 residents.

▪ Meridian: Had 18 new reported cases, three new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,059 cases, 95 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 153 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 25.4 new patients per 100,000 residents.

▪ Mount Baker: Had 16 new reported cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,415 cases, 140 hospitalizations and 19 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 106 cases per 100,000 residents.

▪ Nooksack Valley: Had 10 new reported cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,802 cases, 122 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. The region had a weekly reported case rate of 92 cases per 100,000 residents and a weekly hospitalization rate of 9.2 new patients per 100,000 residents.