'We're at the epicenter, it's scary': life in a Washington city amid the coronavirus outbreak
As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus balloons across Washington state, residents in Kirkland are navigating daily life in a city at the center of the outbreak. They’re cutting back on their time spent in public spaces, stocking up on food and disinfectants and being diligent about hand washing.
The city, just east of Seattle, landed on the frontlines after a resident and staff member at a local nursing home tested positive for the virus last weekend. Since then, many more cases have been confirmed and seven residents have died after contracting the virus.
“At this point, we assume that if someone is in that facility, they likely have been affected or are at high risk for infection and they’re being managed as if they are,” Dr Jeff Duchin, the officer for public health in Seattle and King county, said during a press conference on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday the state had reported 39 cases of the virus, with a total of 10 deaths; the majority of the cases are in King county, which includes Kirkland and Seattle.
The Life Care Center, which has about 108 residents and 180 staff members, has put a hold on admissions and is limiting visitations.
Ellie Basham, the executive director, said in a statement that officials from Public Health Seattle and King County Health Department came to the facility on Wednesday to help evaluate and assess residents. All residents have also been paired with a clinical representative who provides updates for family members each day, she said.“While we would like to understand how the virus entered our facility, right now our focus is on working to ensure a safe environment for our residents, families and associates,” said
Basham.
But beyond the confines of the nursing home, a mix of concern and fear have spread across Kirkland.
In the city’s downtown area on Wednesday, residents reported fewer people walking around, while some shops turned to cutting back on staffing in response to slow business.
Local grocery stores have seen some of their shelves emptied, as residents look to stock up on essentials. In a QFC (Quality Food Centers) in downtown Kirkland, several shelves where disinfectants, bottled water and bread would normally be were almost bare.
Jennifer Ohayon, 42, a Kirkland resident, said she ordered groceries from a local Whole Foods on Friday. But when it arrived over the weekend, half of the products she had ordered were missing because the store had run out of them.
Taylor Andreozzi, 24, who works at Lady Yum, a local macaron shop, told the Guardian she had noticed less than half the usual number of customers had visited over the last two days. She said the shop has cut back on how many of the desserts they set out, after having to throw some away at the end of the day. She also works at a local sushi restaurant and said she’s already had one of her shifts this week cut because of the slow business.
Thruline Coffee Co, in downtown Kirkland, has also been quieter over the last two days. Although there were several people spread out at tables across the coffee shop on Wednesday afternoon, the owner Adam Olsen said he had noticed that about one-third of the normal customer base hadn’t shown up recently.
Most coronavirus infections cause mild symptoms, but for some at a higher risk, including older people and those with chronic illness, it can cause more severe issues. Officials think the virus spreads mainly through coughs or sneezes.
Kirkland officials have reported that more than two dozen firefighters and police officers in Kirkland who have responded to calls at the Life Care Center over the last few weeks have been placed under quarantine. On Wednesday, officials said in a statement that 12 of them have flu-like symptoms.
The Lake Washington school district, the public school district for Kirkland, has kept its schools open. Officials said in a statement published on the district’s website on Tuesday: “All schools and activities will operate as scheduled.” They also highlighted the fact that every day, all “high frequency touch points” at schools are cleaned, and all “touch points” on buses are cleaned.
Patty Hayes, director for public health for Seattle and King county, said during a press conference on Wednesday that officials were not recommending school closures unless there had been a case of coronavirus at the school.
Ali Sanders, 37, lives in Kirkland and said although her six-year-old son was still going to school, her family was avoiding public indoor places, including the YMCA and grocery stores. Sitting on a bench while her four-year-old daughter played at a Kirkland park, she said the family didn’t want to obsess over fear, but they were trying to be very careful, especially when it came to personal hygiene.
“We’re pretty much in the epicenter of it in the nation right now, which is pretty scary,” she said. “We’re just not going to too many places.”
Eda Gok, 34, is a researcher at Facebook and said she’s worked from home since Tuesday and plans to continue to work from home for the rest of the week and into next. She said the outbreak had had an especially noticeable impact on her children. She described a map her eight-year-old son made Wednesday of an escape plan for the family, which included riding their bikes out of the city but stopping off at a restaurant along the way.
“It’s stressful to not know how long this is going to continue and is it going to get worse,” said Gok. “Will I be exposed, or am I already exposed, or any of my kids or my husband? I think the unknown situation is the most stressful one.”