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Dear friends and neighbors,
As you know, COVID-19 is spreading in King County, with hundreds of cases reported to date. As of Saturday morning, there are 388 confirmed cases in King County (up 60 from yesterday), with 35 confirmed deaths (up 3 from yesterday). We expect the case count to double every 5-7 days.
While most of our residents will be able to safely quarantine (for those who have been exposed or who have symptoms), isolate (for those with confirmed infection), or recover (for those who have been sick and are recovering without hospital intervention) at home – that is not true for everyone. Some who need quarantine, isolation or recovery live in homes with people who are highly vulnerable to COVID-19, and will need to leave their home for the safety of relatives or housemates. Some people who become sick will be travelers passing through town who will need care here. Some will be people who have no homes to be in. We need safe spaces that keep people out of the hospital unless they medically need to be there. This is why a major part of the County’s planned pandemic response includes standing up housing for quarantine, isolation and recovery throughout the county.
To put things in perspective, as of today, Public Health experts believe we will need up to 3,000 or more of these beds in King County before the epidemic passes. That means utilizing land and buildings that are already County-owned, properties lent from other public and private entities, and facilities with move-in-ready resources equipped to meet the unique demands of this emergency.
Four emergency facilities have already been sited: two in Seattle (both in District Four), one in Kent, and one in White Center just southwest of Seattle. On Saturday, the County announced two additional sites, both on the Eastside:
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Eastgate Parking Lot – A fully self-contained tent, with flooring and heat, has been purchased for use as an isolation and recovery location and will be placed on the county-owned parking lot located at 13620 Eastgate Way in Bellevue. This is a vacant, County-owned 10-acre site just north of I-90. The location will have 24/7 onsite security and health services staff. The site will be available in about a week.
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Issaquah Motel (new acquisition): King County has finalized a lease of a motel located at 1801 12th Avenue NW in Issaquah. We are currently considering site uses that include expanding medical support for vulnerable populations or isolation for people who do not require significant social support services, as well as step-down medical care for people who do not require hospitalization to maximize available space in regional medical facilities.
These locations are in addition to the ones in District Four near Aurora (1132 N 128th St) and near Interbay (531 Elliott Ave. West). NOTE: For the Interbay location, there will be a community conference call on Monday, March 16th at 11am. Call in information is: 206-263-8114, conference ID 97282462#. There will be a call regarding the Aurora site next week, at a time to be determined.
While much about this virus is still unknown, we are doing our best to prepare for whatever comes next. An informative and interesting prediction on the trajectories of COVID-19 cases is available here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/coronavirus-deaths-estimate.html
Food banks need your help
Area food banks are short on toiletry supplies, food, volunteers, and money. Please help in any way you can. Here’s a list of local food banks that need your help:
Coronavirus does not discriminate
This is an unprecedented time for all of us and the County’s public health professionals are working as hard as they can to slow the spread of the disease and to ensure that all of our residents have options should they become ill.
It is important to remember that COVID-19 does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, language, nor economic situation. Misinformation has created fear and hostility that is impacting many of our communities experiencing inequities, particularly our Chinese and other Asian (and Pacific Islander) communities and unsheltered neighbors. The isolation sites announced today are a vital component of a coordinate community-wide response to the epidemic. They are meant to keep our neighbors and our communities safe.
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect ones to continue being sent out on a daily basis. Feel free too forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here. And please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns and, most importantly, be well.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
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