Six more Whatcom residents’ deaths linked to COVID, but county’s pandemic case count drops

Whatcom County’s pandemic total of COVID-19 cases was adjusted down by eight cases Wednesday, but its COVID-related death total increased by six.

The county now has had 36,240 total COVID cases during the pandemic and 259 related deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard on Wednesday, Feb. 16. The Department of Health has made adjustments to COVID data throughout the pandemic, as more information becomes available.

Whatcom's weekly infection rate is 682 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 — down from 988 one week earlier (Jan. 21-27) and the lowest mark the county has seen since it had a rate of 678 Dec. 27 to Jan. 2.

St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 30 patients with COVID-related symptoms on Thursday, Feb. 17, which was unchanged from its last report.