Whatcom receives another ‘medium’ COVID grade from CDC, but 2 regions would be ‘high’

Whatcom County remained in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “medium” community COVID-19 risk level for a third straight week, while infection and hospitalizations rates in two regions within the county would earn “high” rankings, where masking is recommended for everyone.

Though its weekly COVID infection rate dropped below 200 new cases per 100,000 residents last week, the CDC gave Whatcom the “medium” community level rating when new data was released Thursday, June 16, based on an increase in the county’s hospitalization rate. That means masking is recommended for those who are at high risk of serious complications from COVID and those who could expose those at high risk. It marked the fourth time in the past five weeks that Whatcom has received the “medium” ranking.

Though it dropped in to the “low” community level, the Blaine region was the only region within the county to see its weekly number of new cases per 100,000 residents climb last week, The Herald found. The other six saw their rates decrease, and weekly infection rates in the Lynden and Meridian regions are close to dropping below 100.