King County begins installing Coronavirus quarantine units near Top Hat
King County begins installing Coronavirus quarantine units near Top Hat
Electrical work was underway at the Covid-19/coronavirus quarantine site near Top Hat in North HIghline as King County responds to the burgeoning health crisis.
Photo by Patrick Robinson
Wed, 03/04/2020
King County Public Health has begun bringing in units to a site near Top Hat in North Highline to house coronavirus patients who need emergency quarantine and isolated treatment. As of Wednesday 10 deaths and 39 cases have been reported in Washington State.
A mobile trailer was just placed on a piece of county owned property at 206 SW 112th Street and will be in operation for patients as later this week.
Each trailer holds four rooms and two bathrooms but those won't initially be hooked up to water and sewer services. County officials plan to provide portable water and sanitation facilities to get things set up quickly. Electrical contractors were on site one Wednesday doing wiring for the units.
County officials that 18 units of this type have been built, that were originally meant for homeless housing and that 14 of these that could be used for the health quarantine purpose. As many as eight could be eventually installed at the site in Top Hat but a building on site will need to be torn down first.
This location is just the first to be used for off-site quarantine in connection to the coronavirus outbreak. Officials say they are looking to identify additional sites as needed. Governor Inslee was set to tour a site in Centralia for the same purpose.
King County Executive Dow Constantine said the site was chose "because we own the land, we have access to utilities and given the emergency order we could expedite construction."
More sites have been chosen including one in North Seattle and one in Interbay. Additionally a motel chosen for the same purpose will operational at the end of the week. It is located in Kent.