Public Health Seattle-King County guidance for retail establishments

Published on March 12, 2020

Summary:

Public Health has issued guidance for retail establishments and schools. We are reporting 36 new cases today, bringing the confirmed case count total in King County to 270. In addition, one new death is reported, bringing the total deaths to 27.

Story:

Yesterday, a state proclamation(PDF, 198KB) and local orders were issued aimed at minimizing the risk of the spread of coronavirus. Despite these rules that limit gatherings, residents will continue to need services. Retail businesses and service operators such as grocery stores, drug stores, movie theaters, restaurants, and other retail establishments may and should stay open, as long as they follow guidance aimed at maximizing excellent hygiene, social distancing, and cleaning. Retail establishments should follow guidance for retail businesses and service operators.

COVID-19 is spreading in King County, with hundreds of cases reported to date. We expect the case count to double every 5-7 days. A key Public Health goal is to minimize the number of people who get seriously ill at the same time, so that those who are at risk for severe illness are able to get the care they need. If too many people get very sick all at once, this will put an unmanageable burden on our health care system. If that happens, people requiring care may not be able to get it when they need it. Every King County resident has a responsibility to each other to make sure our community collectively lessens the impact of this disease.

Anyone who is sick should stay home. Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19, as well as their close contacts, should follow Public Health guidance addressing what to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 or are worried that you do.

Public Health has many COVID-19 resources for the general public, the business community, workplaces and employers, travelers, healthcare professionals and links to information at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Washington state Department of Health. See our website with additional information available on the Public Health Insider.

Case updates

Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/11/20

270 confirmed cases (up 36 from yesterday)
27 confirmed deaths (up 1 from yesterday)

The one death being reported today is in a man in his 80s. He died at EvergreenHealth on 3/11/20.

Of the 27 deaths reported, 22 are associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland.

Isolation and quarantine facilities update

For those who cannot self-isolate or quarantine in their own home and for those who do not have a home, King County is creating isolation and quarantine sites at multiple locations. Isolation and quarantine is a proven public health practice for reducing the spread of disease.

Examples of people who may need this assistance include people who do not have a separate bedroom in their home away from a family member who is elderly or medically fragile, students in congregate dormitory settings, or people experiencing homelessness.

One King County resident needing a safe place for isolation and quarantine is currently staying at the Kent Central Avenue motel location. Individuals can only be placed into these sites after a health professional with Public Health - Seattle & King County has determined that they need isolation or quarantine.

The number of persons in King County’s isolation and quarantine sites will be included in regular updates provided by Public Health - Seattle & King County. No other identifying or personal information will be provided.

Note to media:

Daily case counts: Public Health’s daily announcement will be issued at approximately 2PM.

Please be aware, as more testing has become available, we are getting increased numbers of reports from laboratories and other facilities. It takes time to reconcile data in order to report numbers accurately.

In addition, we report case numbers, including numbers of deaths, each day that are official through 11:59 p.m. the night before. Many media are hearing directly from healthcare facilities that provide different numbers of deaths than Public Health’s official count, and may be providing it before Public Health has the information and has reconciled the data.

Because there are increased numbers of cases and more data flowing into Public Health that needs to be analyzed and reconciled, we are not able to provide specific information about all cases as we did earlier in this outbreak. We will continue to provide details on deaths, when available, for the time being. In addition, some details about previously reported cases may be updated as data quality improves.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for more than two million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day. More at www.kingcounty.gov/health

Keep up with the latest Public Health news in King County by subscribing to the department’s blog, Public Health Insider.

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