Data shows most recent COVID surge hit Bellingham and rest of Whatcom County differently

COVID-19 infection rates dropped in all seven Whatcom County school district regions — in fact, there were triple-digit decreases in all but one region — as the county continues to emerge from the latest surge in cases. The region covered by the Nooksack Valley School District was the only region in the county to have a two-week infection rate (or the number of new cases per 100,000 residents) higher than 300, according to the latest location data released by the Whatcom County Health Department on Tuesday, Oct. 12. It was also the only region not to see its rate decrease by more than 100 from last week’s report. 

So with all regions of the county apparently recovering from the latest surge, which were hit hardest? Data analysis by The Bellingham Herald showed that the Bellingham region’s case rate during the surge was nearly half the rest of the county’s.