WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – Local COVID case rates continue to decline but are still at a very high level.
The Whatcom County Health Department reports that new case rates are 3.5 times higher than at the peak of the delta surge last year.
There were 2305 new cases during the last week of January, the most recent week of complete data.
The highest case rate remains among children ages 5 to 17.
School age children accounted for 26% of new cases that week.
The health department reports our local hospital and health care system are still under strain.