WWU COVID case surge at 67 as county sees 31 new cases and one death Thursday

Whatcom County saw one related death and 31 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Washington State Department of Health’s coronavirus dashboard Thursday, April 1.

Overall, Whatcom County has seen 7,323 confirmed cases and 87 related deaths during the pandemic, according to state data as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March 31. An additional 241 probable cases — up two from Wednesday’s report — have been reported in Whatcom County during the pandemic, resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.

Western Washington University said its recent surge of cases among students is up to 67 confirmed cases, including 34 students that live in campus housing, according to a school advisory Thursday. The surge in cases is believed to include multiple exposures from parties and other smaller social gatherings between March 8 and 15, the advisory stated.