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All seven school district regions within Whatcom County saw substantial drops in their weekly COVID-19 infection rates, but that news was tempered as the county had its first COVID-related death of somebody under the age of 20 reported.

Of the five most recent deaths where age was reported on the Whatcom County Health Department’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard Thursday, Feb. 24, one was for a resident between the ages of 10 and 19, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis showed. The other four deaths reported last week were for residents in their 40s and three in their 80s, analysis showed.

Before Thursday’s report, Whatcom County had not seen any COVID-related deaths among residents younger than 30. It had five reported among people in their 30s and 15 among those in their 40s.