Corrected: Whatcom County’s weekly COVID-19 infection rates continue slow decline

COVID-19 infection rates continued to drop in Whatcom County last week, as the state reported 435 new cases within the county.

Whatcom County has now had a total of 42,603 COVID cases during the pandemic, according to the latest report Friday, June 24, by the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard, including 37,275 confirmed cases and 5,328 probable cases, resulting from a positive antigen test not confirmed by a molecular test.

The county’s 435 cases were down from the 480 reported by state a week earlier.

Whatcom’s weekly COVID-19 infection rate dropped, though it still remained elevated at 207 new cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from June 9 to 15. That was down from the county’s rate of 267 one week earlier (June 2-8).

St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 12 COVID-related patients on Monday, June 27. Over the past week, the hospital’s daily snapshot has averaged 9.9 COVID-related patients per day, which is down from 18.3 one week earlier (June 14-20) and represents 3.9% of the hospital’s 252 inpatient beds.

Here is what data on the state dashboard showed for Whatcom County through Friday:

▪ 1,689 COVID-related hospitalizations during the pandemic, including 21 hospitalizations reported last week, which was down from 22 the week before. Whatcom has a weekly COVID-related hospitalization rate of 8.2 new patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from June 9-15, which was down from 9.7 one week earlier (June 2-8). Approximately 4.0% of all COVID cases in Whatcom County during the pandemic have resulted in hospitalization.

▪ 31 COVID-related deaths during the pandemic, including three reported last week. The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the state’s epidemiological data found the three deaths were for people who first tested positive for COVID on May 4, May 22 and June 13. Approximately 0.7% of all COVID cases in Whatcom County during the pandemic have resulted in death.

▪ 15.6% of the 3,191 COVID tests in Whatcom County reported to the state between June 8 and 14 returned a positive result. That was down from the 17.0% of the 3,489 tests results reported a week earlier (June 7-13).

▪ 399,200 COVID vaccinations have been administered within the county — an increase of 1,303 doses last week — with 69.4% of all Whatcom County residents (158,183 people) completing an initial vaccination series. Of those eligible to receive a booster, 60.3% (92,549 people) have done so.