Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Health officer orders COVID-19 patients, and those awaiting test results, to isolate and quarantine

Dr. Jeff Duchin, right, public health officer for Seattle and King County, talks to reporters on March 4, 2020.
Ted S. Warren
/
The Associated Press
Dr. Jeff Duchin, right, public health officer for Seattle and King County, talks to reporters on March 4, 2020.

King County's top health official ordered residents to follow quarantine and isolation guidelines meant to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, public health officer for Seattle and King County, signed the order Saturday.

It directs anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms and has been tested to remain in quarantine while awaiting results.

It further directs anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to remain in isolation until no longer infectious, meaning they must stay at home unless they need to leave for medical care. 

Someone is considered no longer infectious if symptoms have been gone for three days and it's been at least seven days since they first appeared, Duchin's order says.

Residents who do not comply could face "involuntary detention," according to the document.

Duchin lays out guidelines for quarantine and isolation in the order. It directs residents who are sick or awaiting test results to:

  • Stay in a separate "sick room" if possible, away from other people and animals;
  • Clean all commonly touched surfaces every day;
  • Avoid sharing towels, utensils and other items;
  • If someone needs food or other necessary supplies, they must get it by delivery "if practical," or from someone not in quarantine or isolation, and in a way that doesn't require face-to-face contact;
  • Call a doctor or clinic before showing up; 
  • If someone must go to a medical appointment, they should avoid public transportation and wear a face mask if one is available.

The order remains in effect "until further notice," according to the document.
Duchin issued the order as the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in King County's homeless population came to light Saturday. 

County officials said four people in at least three different shelters have tested positive, and more confirmed cases are expected as testing in the homeless population ramps up.

King County has created three facilities where people without homes can be quarantined or isolated:

  • A motel the county has purchased in Kent;
  • Modular units set up in North Seattle;
  • A former hotel in Issaquah that officials planned to open Sunday. 

People isolated or quarantined in those facilities must agree to remain separated from others, not leave, and not have visitors, county officials said in a news release Saturday. 
If someone doesn't comply, health officials said they "will take enforcement action, up to and including seeking a court order and involuntarily detaining the patient to protect the public."

Tags
News Coronavirus Coveragecoronavirus
Will James is a former KNKX reporter and was part of the special projects team, reporting and producing podcasts such as Outsiders and The Walk Home.