Stafholt has first Covid-19 cases since spring

Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt nursing home in Blaine is experiencing a second Covid-19 outbreak.

The Whatcom County Health Department confirmed that three people in the nursing home have tested positive for Covid-19, one of whom passed away from the virus. The first person tested positive on January 15, four days before the nursing home had several Walgreens pharmacists administer the first round of the Pfizer vaccine to residents and staff.

A health department spokesperson said the outbreak was unlikely connected to the vaccine clinic and it is unknown at this time how the virus entered the long-term care facility.

The health department could not provide information on the number of residents and staff who tested positive.

Stacy Bernard, interim administrator at Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt, said in an email through a spokesperson that there have been 20 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Of these cases, 17 were during the nursing home’s first outbreak this spring. There had been no new cases until this month.