PORT ANGELES – Health officials in Washington state said Monday that three more people had died from the coronavirus, bringing the total to 6 in Washington and 7 deaths nationwide.
Dr. Jeff Duchin from King County public Health announced the 3 new deaths at a news conference this afternoon.
Researchers said earlier the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in our state, and
Gov. Inslee declared a state of emergency here on Saturday.
The declaration directs state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to an outbreak and allows the use of the Washington National Guard if necessary.
Here in Clallam County there are so far no reported cases of the virus, also referred to as COVID-19. Undersheriff Ron Cameron told us that staffing at the Emergency Operations Center today now includes County Health Officer Allison Berry-Unthank and other incident management personnel who are currently working on messaging and policy strategies.
While a few schools in King County have closed temporarily, Port Angeles schools say additional staff has been brought in to clean classrooms, bathrooms, and frequently-touched items such as doorknobs, computer keyboards, etc.
For now, the best advice we’re getting is to wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick, and cover your cough with a tissue.
For further information, please visit www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus.