These Whatcom communities are doing better than others in CDC’s COVID risk level

Whatcom County returned to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “medium” community COVID-19 risk level, but for the first time in three months, no region within the county would receive a “high” rating.

After one week in the “low” range, Whatcom County’s rate of reported COVID-19 cases crept up enough for the CDC to give Whatcom the “medium” community rating when new data was released Thursday, July 14, marking the sixth time in the past eight weeks it has received a “medium” grade.

But The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the latest location data released Thursday by the Whatcom County Health Department showed that the regions covered by the Bellingham, Blaine, Lynden and Mount Baker school districts would receive “low” ratings if the CDC drilled down to that level.

The Ferndale, Meridian and Nooksack Valley regions, meanwhile, would received “medium” rankings, The Herald found, marking the first time since mid-April Whatcom County had not had at least one of its seven school district regions with a reported case rate or hospitalization numbers that would earn it a “high” rating.

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, July 15, St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 10 COVID-related patients. That would give it an average of 11.1 COVID-related patients per day over the past week (July 9-15) — down from 14.0 one week earlier (July 2-8) and well within the CDC’s “low” guidelines with 4.4% 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, July 6, showed Whatcom County had a weekly reported case rate of 176 cases per 100,000 residents and a hospitalization rate of 7.9 new COVID-related patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently complete epidemiological data from June 28 to July 4.

For the entire pandemic, Whatcom County has had 43,815 cases with 1,742 hospitalizations and 309 deaths related to COVID-19, as of Wednesday’s dashboard update.

Weekly reported case rates dropped in five of Whatcom’s seven school district regions, The Herald found, with only Meridian seeing one higher than 200 cases per 100,000 residents. Hospitalization rates also dropped in four regions and remained unchanged in a fifth.

Here is what the health department’s latest data showed for the seven regions in the county for the week of July 3-9:

▪ Bellingham: Had 230 new reported cases, six new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 19,128 cases, 613 hospitalizations and 146 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 172 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 197 from one week earlier.

▪ Blaine: Had 30 new reported cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 3,617 cases, 133 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 169 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 164 one week earlier.

▪ Ferndale: Had 66 new reported cases, five new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 7,944 cases, 366 hospitalizations and 54 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 196 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 205 one week earlier.

▪ Lynden: Had 25 new reported cases, no new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 5,749 cases, 276 hospitalizations and 39 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 121 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 135 one week earlier.

▪ Meridian: Had 25 new reported cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,023 cases, 90 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 212 cases per 100,000 residents was up from 203 one week earlier.

▪ Mount Baker: Had 25 new reported cases, one new hospitalization and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,373 cases, 137 hospitalizations and 19 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 166 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 219 one week earlier.

▪ Nooksack Valley: Had 12 new reported cases, two new hospitalizations and no new deaths reported, increasing its pandemic totals to 2,764 cases, 118 hospitalizations and 13 deaths. Its weekly reported case rate of 111 cases per 100,000 residents was down from 203 one week earlier.