One Whatcom region would be in CDC’s ‘high’ COVID community level, while 3 others ‘medium’

One Whatcom County region would find itself with a “high” COVID-19 community level for the first time if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boiled risk levels down the school district level, while three others would be in the “medium” range after last week.

The area covered by the Lynden School District would receive a “high” grade based on its weekly COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the latest location data released Thursday, May 26, by the Whatcom County Health Department found. It is the first time since mid March, when the CDC began using its current criteria to assess COVID community levels, that Lynden has received anything above a “medium.” The regions covered by the Bellingham, Blaine and Ferndale school districts would all fall in the “medium” range, The Herald found, as all three, along with Lynden, had infection rates of more than 200 new cases last week per 100,000 residents. Lynden also had a weekly COVID-related hospitalization rate of more than 10 new patients per 100,000 residents — the only region within Whatcom County with a rate that high.