January 14 - 20, 2021
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Family Care Network project delayed, page 3
U.S./Canada border closure extended until February 21
First Covid-19 case in Blaine school, page 6
Berm faces winter storms, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine restaurants welcome outdoor dining
By Grace McCarthy
s Paso del Norte added outdoor dining in front of its restaurant at 758 Peace Portal Drive. See more outdoor dining page 15. Photo by Conor Wilson
Covid-19 cases increasing at alarming rate By Grace McCarthy Whatcom County Health Department officials are pleading for the public to take immediate precautions as Covid-19 numbers sky rocket to the highest they’ve been since the pandemic started. Social gatherings were the source of 80 percent of Covid-19 transmissions during the week after Christmas, according to January 13 information from the health department. “We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again,” Whatcom County Health Department director Erika Lautenbach said in a January 8 news release. “But this time much more urgently. Now, perhaps more than ever, the actions you take today can save your life and the lives of others. Cancel your plans this weekend.” The health department said in the January 8 news release that since December 30, the number of Covid-19 cases has risen faster than ever before, and fears increased spread as people return to work after the holidays. At 148, January 6 had the highest number of documented Covid-19 cases in the county since the pandemic started, a health department spokesperson said on January 13. The health department reported twice
as many confirmed Covid-19 cases in the week ending on January 8 than the previous week. Whatcom County has had a 325 percent increase of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks, according to a Covid-19 tracking tool produced by The New York Times. The data shows Washington state has had a 53 percent increase and the U.S. has had a 37 percent increase in confirmed cases of the past two weeks. A county health department spokesperson said they could not yet comment on the increase of Covid-19 cases, but noted the time proximity to holiday gathering. Whatcom County has had a daily average of 105 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past seven days, according to The New York Times data. As of January 11, Whatcom County has had 4,343 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and 56 virus-related deaths, according to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) data. In the past two weeks, there has been a rate of 207 confirmed cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Whatcom County. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 229 people have been hospitalized from the virus in the county. Two-week Covid-19 case rates in north Whatcom County have dramatically in-
creased, with Nooksack Valley having a case rate more than triple last week’s number and Lynden having a case rate more than double the previous week. Nooksack Valley school district had the highest rate of new cases, with 1,147 per 100,000 people. Lynden school district had the second highest rate of new cases at 850 per 100,000 people. Blaine school district had a rate of 250 cases per 100,000 during that time. Washington has had 266,701 total confirmed cases of Covid-19. In the state, 3,789 people have died from the virus and (See Covid-19, page 7)
INSIDE
The U.S./Canada border closure to non-essential travel has been extended for the 10th time with a continued closure until at least February 21, 2021. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced extension of the border closure January 12. “Our focus since the start of this pandemic has been protecting you and your family,” Trudeau said during a press conference. “Whether by procuring vaccines or by bringing in strict travel and border measures, our priority is your safety.” Canada’s minister of public safety Bill Blair confirmed the extension of the border closure, which is nearing a year in March, in a January 12 tweet. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also announced the extension, which also affects the U.S./Mexico border, in a January 12 tweet. DHS added in a thread to the original tweet that the DHS was working with Canadian and Mexican officials to “identify appropriate public health conditions to safely ease restrictions in the future and support U.S. border communities.” DHS continued, saying the incoming administration would need to discuss the degree of health risk in the CDC Travel Health Notice, public health conditions and applicable travel restrictions, and local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer staffing numbers if exposed to Covid-19. The border was first closed to non-essential travel on March 21, 2020. The U.S. had 22,322,956 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to January 12 CDC data. The increase of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. over the past seven days, 1,722,460, is 258 percent of Canada’s total 668,181 confirmed cases during the pandemic, according to CDC and January 11 Canadian government data. The U.S. has a rate of 6,724 confirmed cases per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic, which is more than 2.5 times higher than Canada’s rate of 1,778 cases per 100,000, according to the latest data from CDC and Canadian government. The border closure does not extend to air travel. People traveling to Canada must quarantine for 14 days after arrival and, as of January 7, people entering Canada by plane who are 5 years old or older must provide a negative Covid-19 test that was taken no later than 72 hours before departure, according to the government of Canada. The CDC announced similar measures on January 12 that will take effect Tuesday, January 26, requiring air travelers entering the U.S. to submit proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before boarding a flight.
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