As Covid-19 cases in Whatcom County reach pandemic highs, Whatcom County testing providers are seeing double the demand for testing, likely attributed to the Delta variant and people needing a test to travel into Canada.
“The need for PCR tests prior to crossing the border has exacerbated an already increasing rate of testing in our community,” Whatcom County health director Erika Lautenbach said during an August 11 media conference.
Whatcom County Covid-19 cases have increased about 500 percent in the past month, a surge that lagged behind other counties that experienced higher numbers earlier in the summer, Lautenbach said. During the week of August 9, Lautenbach said Covid-19 cases were the fourth highest since the pandemic.
The health department is urging all residents to slow down the spread of the virus by getting vaccinated, avoiding indoor and outdoor crowded spaces and wearing face masks in public. Face masks are required for people unvaccinated and recommended for people who are vaccinated because they can still spread the virus.
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) data shows all age groups in the county are experiencing higher Covid-19 cases, with the highest among 25-44 year olds.
“It’s incredibly concerning given the fact that there are very few hospitals in the state that have capacity so if you get into an accident, if you break an arm, if you have a heart attack, there are not places where we can easily transfer people to have those urgent and emergent needs met,” Lautenbach said.
Lautenbach said she’s concerned how the Northwest Washington fair in Lynden and school starting will impact Covid-19 cases. The health department is in discussion with other local health jurisdictions and the Washington State Department of Health about mask mandates, but no decision has been made.
Northwest Laboratory in Bellingham analyzes Covid-19 tests taken at the low-barrier, community testing site at Bellingham International Airport that is run in partnership with the health department. The lab, which has analyzed over 2 million Covid-19 tests nationwide, also offers Covid-19 testing at its Bellingham office and in Burlington.
Northwest Pathology, the parent company for Northwest Laboratory, chief operating officer Jennifer Bull said, in some cases, the increased testing demand happened overnight in late July.
The sharp increase in testing started July 26, Bull said, doubling tests from 300 to 600 daily at Bellingham International Airport, the largest testing site in Whatcom County.
“Our highest volume days were in November or December and then it declined during the beginning of the year and now we’re starting to see those numbers again,” she said.
The Burlington testing location went from an average of 30-40 tests per day in July to over 200 tests practically overnight at the end of July, Bull said.
Bull said it’s difficult to determine how much of the increased testing demand is due to the Delta variant versus travel.
About 9 percent of Covid-19 testing is given to people with Canadian addresses, Bull said, but it’s difficult to know the number of U.S. residents seeking testing for travel because people can say they have a Covid-19 symptom so their insurance covers the testing cost. Most insurance plans don’t cover travel testing and testing costs $180, or $135 if paid with cash, according to Northwest Laboratory.
“It is difficult to parse out the underlying causes as summer travel, the reopening of the Canadian border to non-essential travel, and the rise in cases are happening simultaneously,” WCHD communications specialist Jennifer Moon said in an email to The Northern Light.
Moon said half of people making appointments at the Bellingham airport indicated travel as their reason for testing, but the appointment system does not ask the travel destination.
On August 1, Lummi Tribal Health Clinic stopped offering Covid-19 tests for people using the test to cross into Canada.
Although Northwest Laboratory is still meeting its result turnaround time of 24-48 hours, Bull said she’s heard anecdotally of Whatcom County pharmacies having three- to six-day delays.
People who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or have been exposed can call Whatcom County Health Department at 360/778-6075 to be prioritized for a Covid-19 test. Tests with Testdirectly.com, the scheduling platform used for the Bellingham International Airport location, don’t prioritize Covid-19 appointments by people who have experienced symptoms.
Whatcom County’s Covid-19 tracing team is also delayed with contacting people who have been exposed to the virus because of the sudden shift in high cases.
To get a Covid-19 test for traveling into Canada, call 360/543-6904.
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