Gov. Inslee: Outbreak at the UW ‘too deadly to ignore’

The coronavirus outbreak on the University of Washington’s Greek Row continues to grow as 218 fraternity and sorority members at the UW have tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID outbreak along UW’s Greek Row continues to escalate 

As a result, leaders at the university and Public Health — Seattle & King County issued a warning letter to the UW Greek system earlier this week. The letter says flagrant disregard for COVID-19 prevention measures, parties, and gatherings could trigger a disciplinary investigation. Outcomes of the process may range from reprimand to suspension or dismissal from the university. No student will be disciplined for being diagnosed with COVID, nor for quarantining due to possible exposure.

The surge of cases began on Sept. 11, during the time when students were returning to campus in advance of the start of school in late September. The 218 cases as of Oct. 8 at 4 p.m., involve 15 of the 45 Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council chapters with nine sororities and six fraternities. Anyone who tested positive or has symptoms is being instructed to isolate, as are members of houses with positive cases until a test is returned negative.

All members of the Greek community who are currently in Seattle have been encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 through the Husky Coronavirus Testing program. Students, staff, and faculty are eligible to enroll in the program. Those in the Greek community can indicate their membership when enrolling in order to schedule a test. For those already enrolled, they’re asked to mark that they’ve had a high-risk exposure during their next daily check-in.

State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy said there’s no one cause for the statewide recent uptick seen in COVID-19 cases, though hot spots include schools, and social gatherings, like what’s been observed at the UW, as well as child care centers, and food processing plants.

“Unfortunately, we’re still just seeing outbreaks occur in a very wide variety of settings,” she said.

Dr. Lofy encourages everyone to keep masks on and gatherings small, especially as the cooler, wet weather drives us inside.

The UW continues to remind students to prevent further outbreak and follow what it calls the “3 W’s:” wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your distance.

Washington State University has also struggled to control outbreaks among students since they’ve returned to campus, finding the risk especially high when large groups gather together or attend parties. When WSU was a hotspot at the height of its outbreak, a team from the National Guard was sent to Pullman. One reporter asked if there were plans for something similar during a press conference with the governor Thursday.

“At the Department of Health, we’ve been working with a number of different testing agencies and have been able to deploy different testing teams around the state, really as they’re asked for,” Lofy replied. “All public health is local, our local health departments are really the first folks on the ground to address the public health issues, and we can provide services as we are asked for assistance.”

Governor Inslee added that the state is worried about the UW outbreak as it continues to grow.

“We are so concerned about the fraternities and sororities’ behavior, frankly, that is exposing us all to great risk,” Inslee said. “And it has to change. It just has to change.”

He noted that it’s appreciated that members of the administration have made it clear to students that their behavior needs to change to control the outbreak, adding that the governor’s office may have more to say in the coming days.

“[Students] have to become more rigorous in their supervision of their fellow Greek members, and they’ve got to step up and take responsibility for this,” Inslee said. “Because these things can just blow up, and frankly they are.”

“We’re going to need some leadership from folks in the Greek system, we’re going to make that clear, and there will be consequences if we don’t get that leadership,” he added. “Because this is too deadly to ignore.”