Motel near Tacoma Mall considered for coronavirus care site, city officials say
The Holiday Inn near the Tacoma Mall could become a temporary care center for those who have tested positive or have been exposed to COVID-19, according to multiple city of Tacoma officials.
The hotel is located at 8402 S. Hosmer St.
Tacoma city manager Elizabeth Pauli told City Council members in a special meeting Friday the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department was looking to open its first temporary care center on 84th and Hosmer.
“The opening date is pending,” Pauli said at the meeting. “They are, however, on a rapid schedule and hope to open any day soon and further communication will be taking place, including a telephone town hall, before the opening of that facility.”
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards also told the Tacoma-Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness in a meeting on Friday that the health department was looking at the hotel on Hosmer, formerly Red Lion Hotel and Sherwood Inn.
Woodards told The News Tribune on Friday the health department was taking the lead on the project.
When asked about the site Friday, spokesperson Steve Metcalf said the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has “not reached a final decision on any locations.”
Metcalf included a fact sheet on temporary care shelters, last updated Friday, that stated Pierce County needs at least three temporary care center locations.
“The first temporary care center is likely a Tacoma hotel in central Pierce County,” according to the fact sheet. “The second center will likely be in west Pierce County and the third will likely be in east Pierce County.”
Paul Sandhu of Tacoma South Hospitality, which owns the Holiday Inn property, referred all comment to government officials. A contract has not been signed, he said.
The hotel has 124 guest rooms, according to IHG Hotels.
The purpose of temporary care sites is to house vulnerable Pierce County residents exposed to COVID-19 who don’t have a safe place to stay or cannot isolate themselves from family members or roommates, said the health department.
The care centers are meant for people who:
Have been exposed to COVID-19 and need to be alone for 14 days to reduce any potential spread of the disease (quarantine), or
Have tested positive for the virus or have symptoms and are waiting for test results (isolation).
“These temporary care centers provide local care without adding to the mounting pressure on the hospital system,” according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s fact sheet.
Owners at each property fully support these centers at their sites, the department added.
The health department is making decisions on location based on criteria like proximity to a hospital, ample access to beds and bedding and adequate air flow.
For now, the health department is working with local business owners on the care centers and is “continuing to engage stakeholders and community members to identify the best assessment and recovery options to meet the needs of residents affected by the disease,” Metcalf said.
