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For the first time since May the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated Whatcom County at “low” community COVID-19 risk level, though one region within the county would have received a “high” rating and three others would have been “medium.”

The county’s rates of reported COVID-19 cases and its COVID-related hospitalizations both dropped to levels last week low enough for the CDC to give Whatcom the “low” community rating when new data was released Thursday, July 7, marking the first time since the week of May 22-28 that Whatcom County was in the lowest of the CDC’s three categories after four straight weeks at “medium.” But The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the latest location data released Thursday by the Whatcom County Health Department showed that the region covered by the Mount Baker School District would receive a “high” rating if the CDC drilled down to that level. The CDC recommends every resident within counties that receive “high” rankings mask in public situations.

As of Thursday, July 7, St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 15 COVID-related patients. That would give it an average of 14.1 COVID-related patients per day over the past week (July 1-7) — up from 12.1 one week earlier (June 24-30) but well within the CDC’s “low” guidelines with 5.6% of the hospital’s 252 inpatient beds filled by COVID patients.