Information & Resources on the Coronavirus Outbreak

March 4, 2020

CORONAVIRUS PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE

Dear neighbors,

Washington state is experiencing an increase in cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and it is anticipated that the virus will continue to spread. Therefore, I want to make sure you have the facts and understand the basics on how to stay healthy.

Health officials are working rapidly to identify and test people who may have been exposed. Public health officials in our state have experience responding to pandemics and are working with state and county health officials to share information, deploy resources, and respond at maximum capacity.

The most recent recommendations from Seattle & King County Public Health on how to reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19 include:

  • People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible, including public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others. People at higher risk include:
    • People 60 and older;
    • People with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes;
    • People who have weakened immune systems; and
    • People who are pregnant.
  • Workplaces should enact measures that allow people who can work from home to do so. Taking these measures can help reduce the number of workers who come into contact with COVID-19 and help minimize absenteeism due to illness.
  • If you can feasibly avoid bringing large groups of people together, consider postponing events and gatherings.
  • Public Health is not recommending closing schools at this time unless there has been a confirmed case in the school. Public Health – Seattle & King County also respects an individual school’s decisions about closures or postponement of activities as each school knows the needs of their community best.
  • All people should not go out when they are sick.
  • Avoid visiting hospitals, long term care facilities, or nursing homes to the extent possible. If you need to go, limit your time there and keep six feet away from patients.

If you are in King County and believe you were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, or if you’re a healthcare provider with questions about COVID-19, contact the novel coronavirus call center: 206-477-3977. The call center will be open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM PST.

For general questions about COVID-19 or Washington state’s response, please call the DOH hotline at 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

You can also stay up to date with King County specific information on the outbreak by following them online at the various websites and social media channels below:

Website: www.kingcounty.gov/covid
Facebook: facebook.com/KCPubHealth/
Twitter: twitter.com/KCPubHealth

Finally, these are the general recommendations from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) on how to respond in your daily life:

  • Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face.
  • Stay home when you’re sick.
  • If you are sick and wondering what to do, call your healthcare provider before you go to a clinic or emergency room.
  • Show compassion and support for individuals and communities most closely impacted and anyone who might be sick.
  • Get yourself and your family prepared. Resources can be found at www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus#beprepared.

If you have questions, call DOH at 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

You can also stay up to date by following them online at the various websites and social media channels below:

Website: www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
Facebook: facebook.com/WADeptHealth
Twitter: twitter.com/WADeptHealth
How Can I be Prepared?

What we are doing in the Legislature

In the Legislature, my colleagues Rep. Cody and Rep. Schmick, the health care leads in the House, offered a bill to transfer $100 million from the state “Rainy Day Fund” to get state agencies and local governments the necessary funding to respond to COVID-19. It will also give the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) funding to increase nursing staff to help address this growing need. The bill was voted out of the House last night unanimously, and will be considered in the Senate later today in order to get that funding into our communities as quickly as possible. We’ll continue to work with DOH, DSHS, and other state agencies to identify what the Legislature can do to ensure we have the necessary resources.

We are all in this together. Please make sure to follow the recommendations to keep yourself healthy and keep up on latest information via the social media channels above. I’ll keep you updated on the status of our efforts in the Legislature to respond.

Share your thoughts: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response

Survey Button

In order to get a better sense of our district’s understanding and preparedness in the face of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, I’ve created a one question survey to gauge how to better support our community during this time. You can click here or the button to take the survey, which should take less than five minutes of your time. Thank you and I look forward to your responses.

Results: Your thoughts on healthcare

Thank you to those who participated in the healthcare survey I sent out in my last newsletter!

I asked you to share what changes you’d like to see in our healthcare system and your opinion on a few of the health care policies being debated this session. Your responses gave me a better sense of where our district stands on healthcare needs. For more information, check out the 2020 Healthcare Survey Results.

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have comments, questions, or ideas on how to make Washington a better place to live and work.

Sincerely,

Bergquist signature

Rep. Steve Bergquist