Whatcom County’s weekly COVID case count increases, and two more related deaths reported

Whatcom County’s weekly count of new COVID-19 cases increased last week, and two more residents’ deaths were linked to the coronavirus.

Whatcom County has had 37,429 total cases (confirmed and probable combined) and 292 COVID-related deaths during the pandemic, according to the latest data released Friday, April 8, on the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard. A total of 203 new COVID cases were reported in Whatcom last week, which was up from the 128 cases reported the week before.

With the exception of weekly increases seen the weeks of Feb. 20-26 and Feb. 27 to March 5, after the state reanalyzed data from the omicron surge and adjusted data, it was the first time Whatcom’s weekly number of cases has increased since late January.

The two deaths reported last week were for people who first tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 14 and March 29, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of state epidemiological data found, bringing Whatcom’s epidemiological death totals for those months to 15 deaths in February and two in March.