Pierce County is searching for a property where it can isolate certain coronavirus patients
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has selected three sites that could become a coronavirus, COVID-19, isolation and quarantine center.
Dr. Anthony Chen, health department director, is in final talks with Pierce County elected officials about choosing a facility for confirmed COVID-19 patients and those who have been exposed.
“We need to plan for this so we are not unprepared,” Chen said.
There is one site each in west, central, and east Pierce County. The county will either purchase or rent the space. It’s too early to provide details about how much the project would cost, health department spokesperson Edie Jeffers said.
The health department is not publicly identifying the facilities at this time because the county is still in communications with community stakeholders, Jeffers said.
Pierce County government officials referred all comment to the health department.
Pierce County Emergency Management initially provided a list of six facilities where there are available beds and bedding, have adequate air flow and are close to a hospital.
The center will be a place for those who are sick but don’t have space to separate themselves from family or roommates. People experiencing homelessness and have no place to isolate themselves also could be housed there while sick. It also could hold those who have been exposed and are awaiting test results.
Chen gave as an example a firefighter who was exposed while responding to Kirkland’s Life Care Center, where several people came down with coronavirus. The exposed firefighter was quarantined in an old fire station rather than go home and infect his family.
Those who are sick and can isolate themselves are asked to continue to do so.
Visitors likely would not be allowed, seeing as the goal of the center would be to contain the spread as much as possible, Jeffers said.
While Pierce County is not experiencing the same volume of confirmed cases as King County, keeping the numbers as low as possible will help those most at risk. Chen said an isolation and quarantine center would help reduce the spread of infection.
“We want to make it possible for people who can’t stay put and isolate themselves to comply,” Chen said.
Chen said it is a priority to engage the community before choosing a final place.
“The health department tries not to take a community by surprise. There are going to be questions. There are going to be concerns,” he said. “But regardless, we don’t want to plop this in the middle of somebody’s neighborhood without telling them.”
The City of Kent recently sued King County over the decision to purchase a former motel in the city as an isolation and quarantine center. The county announced last week it will add more locations.
The TPCHD understands concerns over the placement of the center but hopes this is a time the community pulls together, Jeffers said.
“We hope that the community understands that we have to solve challenges together and show our resiliency by coming together,” she said.
