One Whatcom region sees highest COVID infection rate in 3 months, 4 others also increase

One school district region within Whatcom County saw its COVID-19 infection rate increase to the highest level any of the seven regions have seen since the first week of February, while four others also saw their rates increase last week.

The region covered by the Lynden School District has seen 150 new cases over the past two weeks, according to data released by the Whatcom County Health Department on Tuesday, May 18, pushing the region’s number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents the past two weeks above 700 — the first time any region in Whatcom County has been that high since Lynden’s rate was 805 in the Feb. 2 report.

Though it had the largest gain, Lynden was not alone in seeing an infection rate increase last week, as the Meridian region also saw its infection rate increase by more than 200 last week. Only the Bellingham and Ferndale regions saw decreases, and all seven regions are above 100 cases per 100,000 residents the past two weeks.