Fire academy in North Bend selected as coronavirus quarantine site
Feb 5, 2020, 2:55 PM | Updated: Feb 6, 2020, 2:00 pm
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) Fire Training Academy in North Bend was designated Wednesday as a coronavirus quarantine site for travelers from the Hubei Province of China, according to a WSP press release.
Quarantine at this site will be for people who are unable to quarantine themselves at their own homes. Since the site is not a medical facility, it will hold travelers who have not yet exhibited symptoms. Any sick individuals will be sent to the hospital.
What to know about China’s Wuhan coronavirus
Chris Loftis, WSP Communications Director, told members of the media at a site visit Thursday that there is a very low chance that any individuals will need to be sent to the academy for quarantine, but the state needs to be prepared.
The city of North Bend specified on Wednesday that the fire training academy is a secure facility outside of city limits. No patients are currently being transported to or held at the facility.
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) officials confirmed that while this situation poses a serious public health threat, the immediate health risk to the general public is low in Washington state.
The DOH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to monitor local risks to ensure the safety of the community.
“The information we have received from the DOH is that the FTA is considered a secure facility to quarantine up to 14 days (holding only, not treatment) for people who arrive at SeaTac from Wuhan province and DO NOT present symptoms,” North Bend Mayor McFarland said in the press release. “As travel from Wuhan was cut off by China some number of days ago, the window under which this applies appears to be closing quickly.”
According to the DOH, efforts are underway to find another location to better fit this kind of situation.
Monday, the Snohomish County man who was diagnosed with coronavirus after a trip to China was discharged from Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. He remains in isolation at home, under monitoring from the Snohomish Health District.
Last week, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was included in the CDC’s list of airports that will conduct health screenings for coronavirus. All passengers arriving from China will be asked a set of questions, and may be pulled aside for additional screening.
CDC expands airport health screenings for coronavirus to include Sea-Tac
The CDC has advised Americans to not travel to China. There are 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of Feb. 5. Worldwide, the outbreak has killed nearly 500 people and infected more than 24,000 in over 25 countries.
For an updated summary on this evolving situation, visit CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus page here.
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