BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Whatcom County health officials are investigating a series of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The outbreaks are related to large private and recreational social gatherings held in Whatcom County in late May during Governor Inslee’s stay-home order.
The Whatcom County Health Department reports that attendees of these gatherings have since been diagnosed with COVID-19 and preliminary investigations have determined close contacts of party-goers have also become infected.
They have notified the Washington State Department of Health, as required, and it is not yet known whether these outbreaks will impact the county’s ability to remain in Phase 2.
Meanwhile, the state DOH says coronavirus infections are on the increase on both sides of the Cascades.
The situation report says state epidemiologists have seen a particularly large increases in Benton, Yakima, Spokane and Franklin counties, but also that the latest data through the end of May indicates likely increases in infections across the state.
The results include increases in transmission over Memorial Day weekend, but not infections that may have occurred during recent protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people together in cities and towns across the state.
The World Health Organization says “The incubation period for COVID-19, which is the time between exposure to the virus (becoming infected) and symptom onset, is on average 5-6 days, however can be up to 14 days. During this period, also known as the “presymptomatic” period, some infected persons can be contagious. Therefore, transmission from a pre-symptomatic case can occur before symptom onset.”