New COVID-19 recovery site for vulnerable populations, and updates from Public Health – Seattle & King County for March 21, 2020

Novel Coronavirus, Press Releases

Summary

King County has joined with Harborview Medical Center to repurpose Harborview Hall to serve as a 45-bed COVID-19 recovery site for vulnerable populations. In addition, Public Health announced 141 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 934. In addition, eight new deaths are reported, bringing the total of confirmed deaths in King County to 74.

Story

King County joins with Harborview Medical Center to open COVID-19 recovery site

King County has joined with Harborview Medical Center to plan for opening an isolation and recovery center in the county’s Harborview Hall building, located at 326 Ninth Avenue.

The building will be repurposed to serve as a recovery site primarily for people who do not have a home to rest and recover and who may have other health needs requiring a level of monitoring. This may include people who are awaiting the result of their COVID-19 test result or a COVID-19 patient who has mild symptoms and doesn’t require hospitalization. Onsite clinical support will be provided by Harborview Medical Center staff.

The current shelter in the Harborview Hall building has been relocated a few blocks away, with the help of the Salvation Army.

Harborview Medical Center and King County are addressing how to best care for all our population groups, and this move to establish recovery sites for people experiencing homelessness is an essential step in our community response.

Case updates

Public Health—Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/20/20.

  • 934 confirmed cases (up 141 from yesterday)*
  • 74 confirmed deaths (up 8 from yesterday)*

These additional deaths include:

  • A woman in her 80s, who died on 3/19
  • A woman in her 100s, who on died 3/15
  • A man in his 80s, who died on 3/20 at Swedish Ballard
  • A woman in her 70s, who died on 3/20 at Northwest Hospital
  • A man in his 70s, who died on 3/20 at Northwest Hospital
  • A woman in her 70s, who died on 3/20 at Highline Medical Center
  • A man in his 60s, who died on 3/20 at Swedish Issaquah
  • A man in his 80s, who died on 3/20 at Valley Medical Center

Of the 74 deaths reported, 35 are confirmed to be associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland.

*After case investigation, one previously reported death was confirmed to be a resident of a different jurisdiction. We have removed this person from our overall confirmed case and death counts.