COVID infection rates across Whatcom continue surge, as one region’s rate surpasses 3,000

While one of Whatcom County’s seven school district regions managed to keep its two-week COVID-19 infection rate below 2,000 cases per 100,000 residents, the omicron surge pushed another above 3,000. The region covered by the Ferndale School District, which last week became the first region with an infection rate higher than 2,000, has since surpassed 3,000 cases per 100,000 residents, according to the Whatcom County Health Department’s latest location data released on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

For the second straight week, the Bellingham region had more more than 1,400 cases reported, as it moved past 10,000 COVID cases during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the six other regions all had triple-digit increases.

Age-range data showed weekly infection rates were highest among Whatcom residents between the ages of 5 and 17 (2,448 cases per 100,000 residents), though those between 18 and 24 (2,155 cases per 100,000 residents) and those in the 25-to-44 age group (2,054 cases per 100,000 residents) also continued to surge. Whatcom residents 65 and older were the only age group with an infection rate lower than 500 cases per 100,000 residents (387).