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Results from Drive-Through Testing Pilot

July 23, 2020

Whatcom County concluded its second round of pilot COVID-19 drive-through testing at the Bellingham Civic Field Complex on Saturday afternoon. No-cost testing was provided without an appointment or healthcare provider referral to over 1,800 people over four days that the testing site was active.

Who Came to Get Tested?

We tested 1,814 people over both weekends the pilot testing site was open, with 1,021 tests conducted last weekend alone. About 1% of test results came back positive.

We’ve notified everyone of their results except for those with missing contact information. Anyone who has not received results should call 360-778-6100 or email Health_TestingCOVID19@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Here are some highlights of what we learned. You can see more details in the data tables below.

  • 29.3% of those tested were age 19-29, and 25.4% were 30-49.
  • About 70% of those tested reported they live in Bellingham. Very few individuals came from outside of Whatcom County.
  • 86% of those tested reported having health insurance.
  • 33.5% reported that they have a primary healthcare provider.
  • 11.3% of people tested said they were close contacts of a confirmed case.
  • 23.7% reported that they had symptoms and were not a close contact of a confirmed case.
  • 64.5% wanted to be tested for screening purposes only.

The numbers here are accurate as of noon on Monday, July 20. Final numbers are still pending as we go through our usual data reconciliation and verification process.

Next Steps

The Whatcom County Health Department is learning from this testing process and working with Whatcom Unified Command to determine the best strategy for expanding testing capacity in Whatcom County.

Additional Testing Options

Getting tested is cost-free to everyone, with or without insurance.

Currently, the easiest way to get tested is to get a referral from your primary care provider. Northwest Labs in Bellingham offers drive-through testing by appointment if you have a doctor’s referral. They typically have appointments available within 24 hours.

If you do not have a primary care provider you can contact your insurance provider or check their website to get a list of doctors in your provider network.

SeaMar Community Health Center is providing testing for all community members, whether you are a patient there or not.

More information about testing options in Whatcom County can be found on our testing page.

Data Tables

The tables below provide information about who was tested during both weekends, by age group and location of residence.

Percentage of People Tested by Age Group

Age

Count

Percentage

0-17

147

8.1%

18-29

532

29.3%

30-49

461

25.4%

50-64

341

18.8%

65-79

292

16.1%

80+

38

2.1%

Unknown

3

0.2%

Total

1814

100%

 

Percentage of People Tested by Place of Residence

Location

Count

Percentage

Bellingham

1295

71.4%

Ferndale

134

7.4%

Lynden

68

3.7%

Everson/Deming/Sumas

50

2.8%

Lummi Island

13

0.7%

Blaine/Custer/Birch Bay

89

4.9%

Maple Falls

18

1.0%

King County

28

1.5%

Skagit County

14

0.8%

Snohomish County

9

0.5%

Pierce County

4

0.2%

Island County

9

0.5%

Other WA Counties

14

0.8%

Out of State

61

3.4%

Location not provided

8

0.4%

Total

1814

100%

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Spread the Facts, Not Fear

Visit these trusted sites and sources:

Whatcom County Health Department COVID-19 Webpage

Whatcom County Health Department News

Washington State COVID-19 Webpage

Washington State Department of Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Washington State COVID-19 Call Center hotline: 1-800-525-0127  and press #

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