Last updated: Friday, February 19, 2021 at 4:59 p.m. 

This is the latest guidance for individuals, families, and households to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Whatcom County.

• Social Gatherings & Roadmap to Recovery
• Assessing your risk
• What to do if you are sick or have been exposed
• Preventing COVID-19 Infection
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Financial Support
• What's Allowed
• Guidance for people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness
• Guidance for Children and Families
• Visit Whatcom Unified Command’s website for information on childcare and schools and additional resources for individuals and families.
• FAQs

Social Gatherings

Starting January 11, 2021, Washington State is following a regional recovery approach. On February 12, 2021 the Governor announced the North Region, which includes Whatcom County, will move into Phase 2 effective Monday, Feb. 14.

During Phase 2: 

• Indoor social and at-home gatherings can include a maxim of five (5) people from outside your household, with a limit of 2 households.
  • Mask use and social distancing should continue during these gatherings.
• Outdoor gatherings are allowed with up to fifteen (15)people from outside your household, with a limit of 2 households.
  • Mask use and social distancing should continue during these gatherings. 

For more about the approach, read how it works, and get the full details.  

Visit Washington State’s Safer Gatherings Page for more information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also developed the COVID-19 Travel Planner page, a centralized location of COVID-19 information for domestic travelers throughout the holiday season.

Assessing Your Risk

Each of us assesses risks differently. When it comes to COVID-19, the risks you take affect you personally, and they also affect your community. Each decision you make about what activities to participate requires thinking through risk factors.  Read our June 25 news flash, How safe is it? A guide to COVID-19 risk, for guidance on assessing your risk. 

What to Do if You Are Sick or Have Been Exposed

See our Frequently Asked Questions page for information on what to do if you are sick with COVID-19 or think you may have been exposed to the virus.

Preventing COVID-19 Infection

Personal prevention habits are effective for preventing COVID-19 infection and help make community-wide actions more effective. These are important action steps everyone should take to protect their health:

• Watch for symptoms and get tested if you think you have been exposed.
• Wear a mask in public and private settings. Make sure you choose the right mask.
• Maintain physical distancing: avoid crowded areas and stay at least 6 ft away from people you don't live with.
• Practice healthy habits:
  • Wash your hands.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes.
  • Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces (Also available in Spanish and Russian).
• If you have a caregiver, they should also take special precautions (PDF). (Also available in other languages).
• As much as possible, stay local.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

• Use mental health and well-being resources for adults, children, and families.
• Follow these tips to manage chronic stress. 
• Use these ideas for staying connected safely.

Financial Support

Many of us have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you, or someone you know, are in need of financial assistance, programs and resources are available.

What's Allowed

• Under Phase 2 limited social gatherings and business activities are allowed. These changes go into effect on Monday February 15, 2021.
• More information about what is open can be found here. 

Guidance for Specific Groups

People at Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness

Those who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness should take extra precautions to prevent exposure to the virus.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) define people at higher risk as:

• People aged 65 years and older. Guidance on risk decision making for older adults is available in our news flash
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
• People who have serious heart conditions
• People who have weakened immune systems, including those who have undergone cancer treatment
• People of any age with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40)
• People with certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease
• People who are pregnant should be monitored since they are known to be at risk with severe viral illness; however, data on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk

Detailed guidance for people at higher risk is available from the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. 

Caregivers of children with underlying health conditions should consult with healthcare providers about whether their children should stay home. Anyone who has questions about whether their condition puts them at risk for severe illness resulting from novel coronavirus should consult with their healthcare providers.

Guidance for Children and Families

Maternal and Child Health 

• COVID-19 and pregnancy
• WCHD Nurse Family Partnership
  

Supporting Youth Mental Health

• Tips for how parents can support their child's mental health.
• Tips for how youth can support their mental health and emotional resilience

Back to School

• COVID-19 transmission associated with schools remains low. However, as students return to in-person learning, we may see some increase in school-associated transmission. DOH’s recent report (2/11/21) on COVID-19 outbreaks in Washington State K-12 Schools may be a helpful resource to learn more about this topic.
• Each school district is making their own decision about how and when to bring students back to school. Schools use several resources to make their decision, including the State Department of Health's decision tree, guidance from the State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Governor, as well as recommendations from our Health Officer, Dr. Greg Stern. 
• Routine immunizations are still required, even if you're doing distance learning. You can learn more about which routine immunizations are recommended for your child, and how to access them here.  
• Information about how to form a learning pod, safely.
• On-line learning resources from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Office (OSPI).