Rick Larsen talks about virus with Skagit County leaders
Published 7:33 am Saturday, March 7, 2020
By Brandon Stone / Skagit Valley Herald
MOUNT VERNON — U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) asked Skagit County leaders and public health officials Friday what they need to improve their response to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Larsen praised an $8.3 billion emergency aid package, approved by Congress and signed Thursday by President Donald Trump, saying the response to the virus has felt bipartisan.
“I don’t think (COVID-19) has a party preference,” he said. “We have to be agnostic as well in addressing (it).”
The funding package includes about $950 million to support state and local health agencies, and $1 billion for purchasing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, according to a draft fact sheet from Larsen’s office.
While the outbreak in the U.S. has thus far been centralized in urban areas, local public health agencies need to be prepared for it to spread to rural communities.
“There are more counties like Skagit … than there are like Seattle or Snohomish,” Larsen said, adding an outbreak here would be a “very different picture” than one in a larger county with more resources.
There are no confirmed cases in Skagit County, said Polly Dubbel, communicable disease and environmental health manager with county Public Health.
Of the nine county residents who have been tested, eight tests have been negative and one is pending.
Jennifer Johnson, director of county Public Health, said the county commissioners plan to declare an emergency Tuesday, which will make it easier to spend money in response to the virus and make the county open to government reimbursement.
“This is not to panic the community,” she said. “It’s to help keep (them) safe.”
Dubbel said public health staff are prepared to respond to a confirmed case, but they will likely need help in the event of an outbreak.
Johnson said personal protective equipment for medical staff has been in short supply, and more will be needed as the virus spreads.
She said she was concerned for the homeless who may contract the virus and be without a place to quarantine themselves.
Johnson said the county’s homeless population is older than average, and the homeless tend to be more vulnerable to disease.
There are no public health guidelines designed for those who are homeless, she said.
