JASON RANTZ

King County sheriff says her office is heeding coronavirus warnings

Mar 6, 2020, 6:00 AM

king county sheriff...

(King County Sheriff's Office, Facebook)

(King County Sheriff's Office, Facebook)

King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht explains how her deputies are prepping for coronavirus, including what happens if it were to spread among deputies.

“It’s beyond our deputies in the field,” Johanknecht told KTTH’s Jason Rantz. “It’s folks who have to come in to take finger prints and do other things. We’re supporting them all.”

Johanknecht says the deputies in the field have personal protective equipment, which includes gloves and N95 masks.

“We’re also recommending eye protection because, as you know, this (spreads) through contact,” she said.

While health officials are asking that if you can do your work at home, to stay home, many people in the sheriff’s office are essential to keep the public safe.

“We’re asking folks to telecommute when they can,” Johanknecht said. “We’re making sure equipment and processes are in place to do that, but not everyone can do it in the line of business we’re in.”

Johanknecht says she’s proud of those in the sheriff’s office who are stepping up to work hard.

Like a flu scare or H1N1, the sheriff says there are contingency plans in place should someone in the department test positive for coronavirus. She said they can work with schedule changes to handle the load if someone is sick, but for now they’re making the same recommendations as the rest of public in how they protect themselves and disinfect their work stations.

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King County sheriff says her office is heeding coronavirus warnings