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

Despite a drop in the county’s COVID-related hospitalization rate last week, the CDC gave Whatcom the “medium” community level rating when new data was released Thursday, June 30, based on Whatcom’s infection rate moving back above 200 cases per 100,000 residents. 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 fifth time in the past six weeks that Whatcom has received the “medium” ranking.