Individuals, Families & Households

Last updated: Friday, March 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
What's Allowed
What to do if you are sick or have been exposed
Preventing COVID-19 Infection
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Financial Support
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

On March 11, 2021, the Governor announced that Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. On April 9 the Governor updated the the metric requirements, and the first evaluation for the new metrics took place on April 12. Whatcom County met the required metrics and will remain in Phase 3.

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.

What's Allowed

Under Phase 3 limited social gatherings and business activities are allowed. These changes went into effect on Monday, March 22, 2021.
More information about what is open can be found here.

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.

Guidance for Children and Families

Maternal and Child Health

Supporting Youth Mental Health

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.
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.
On-line learning resources from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Office (OSPI).