Angel of the Winds Arena will be new COVID-19 isolation site
Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 28, 2020
EVERETT — With the Silvertips no longer playing, the Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett will soon be home to a new COVID-19 isolation and quarantine site, county officials announced Saturday morning.
The arena will provide a temporary place to stay for those who can’t recover in their own home without exposing the virus to others, or those who are unsheltered. Residents would stay there until released under orders by the Snohomish Health District. On a case by case basis, that could be a few days or up to a couple weeks — and sometimes longer. The idea is to wait out the 14-day incubation period in which the highly contagious virus could be spread.
It’s one more step local governments are taking to stem the tide of the pandemic. By Friday, 912 people in the county had tested positive for the new coronavirus, 23 of whom have died..
“We must come together as a community to ensure we are controlling the spread of COVID-19,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers in a statement. “Similar facilities may be necessary across the county and we appreciate the City of Everett’s willingness to do their part to help control the spread of this pandemic.”
The facility is expected to be prepped and ready to open sometime next week, with help from a $1.3 million grant from the state, county spokesperson Kent Patton said. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office will oversee 24/7 security, which will include six law enforcement officers and four-to-seven additional security guards.
Patton said the facility could serve up to about 150 people, though officials expect the number to be much lower, at least initially. Patton pointed to King County, where on Friday only 12 people were reported to be staying at isolation and quarantine sites.
Many details are still being finalized, Patton said, including what the site will look like, how much it will cost to run, and what people will do to pass the time while in isolation.
Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.
