Three more COVID-related deaths reported in Whatcom County, and hospitalizations increase

Three more Whatcom County residents’ deaths have been linked to COVID-19, the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard reported on Monday, Nov. 15, and the county’s number of COVID-related hospitalizations also increased. Whatcom has now had 171 deaths related to COVID-19, according to the state’s data. The deaths reported Monday were for residents who first tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 19, 26 and 30, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the state’s epidemiological data showed. They bring the county’s total of death epidemiologically linked to October to 16 and Whatcom’s total number of deaths since Aug. 1 to 59, The Herald found. No deaths have been epidemiologically linked to November yet.

The latest report on the state dashboard also shows Whatcom County has 16,191 confirmed cases during the pandemic — up 188 cases from the last report. It marked the 15th-straight weekend report that Whatcom County had a triple-digit increase in confirmed cases. 

St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 35 patients with COVID-related symptoms on Tuesday, Nov. 16 — up three from its last report.