Whatcom County expands COVID-19 testing options

Steve Bennett resorted to crowdsourcing rapid tests for COVID-19 a few weeks ago after local pharmacies ran out.

Bennett, a Western Washington University assistant health professor, finally found one from a friend. The situation underscored how the highly transmissible omicron coronavirus variant sent Whatcom County residents and the rest of the country into a frenzy to find tests.

The situation was never more pronounced than at Bellingham International Airport last month where harsh weather forced county officials to reduce hours of the drive-through testing site and asked residents to cancel appointments. 

But just as test availability has increased in the past week, questions remain about how prepared public health officials are for the next surge of COVID-19.

“We’re doing everything we can to expand [testing] to offer more for people but I really don’t know what this is going to look like in the next couple weeks,” said Bri Spencer, Northwest Pathology Molecular Laboratory manager. “I know there’s a lot of frustration, stress and fear in our community. All we can do is support each other and keep moving forward.”