BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A COVID-19 outbreak has stricken a Bellingham skilled nursing facility.
The Whatcom County Health Department has confirmed 20 cases among residents and staff at Avamere Bellingham Healthcare and Rehabilitation on Birchwood Avenue.
Two people have been hospitalized and an 80-year-old man with a confirmed case has died.
The department is awaiting test results to determine if COVID-19 was the cause of the man’s death.
Six of the cases were among people who have been fully vaccinated.
Whatcom County Health Officer Dr. Greg Stern says those so-called “breakthrough” cases are rare but not unexpected, especially among older people or those with compromised immune systems.