Whatcom sees 2 more COVID-related deaths reported after record-high month in October

Whatcom County just wrapped up its worst month of the pandemic in terms of reported COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths, and November didn’t get off to a much better start, with two more deaths reported on Monday. Whatcom has now had 163 COVID-related deaths during the pandemic, according to the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard on Monday, Nov. 2. The two deaths reported Monday were for residents who first tested positive for COVID on Oct. 16 and Oct. 22, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the state’s epidemiological data showed. They represent the seventh and eighth epidemiological deaths the county has seen in October and increased the county’s total number of deaths since Aug. 1 to 51, The Herald found.

Whatcom County had more COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths reported during the month of October than any other in the 20 months since the county saw its first case in March 2020. Whatcom’s death total during the pandemic climbed by 27 in October (from 134 on Sept. 30 to 161 on Oct. 29), while its total hospitalizations grew by 231 (from 716 Sept. 30 to 161 Oct. 29).