Shoreline Public Health Lab identified as Quarantine Location for Healthy Travelers from Hubei Province in China

State Public Health Lab in Shoreline

The State has identified potential sites across the region for quarantine facilities in an effort to stop the spread of novel coronavirus.

The Department of Health has identified a site on state-owned property next to the Department of Health laboratory on the Fircrest Campus at NE 150th and 15th Ave NE.

Candidates for quarantine at a site would be limited to travelers arriving at Sea-Tac Airport from Hubei Province in China who are also unable to quarantine at home, due to lack of a separate area in the home or perhaps an infant or other family member whose immune system isn’t fully functioning.

As a result, the number of individuals who would require quarantine is extremely low — possibly zero.

A person in quarantine is not sick but has potentially been exposed to the virus — quarantine works as a way to make sure that nobody who is unknowingly infected can spread the disease.

The Department of Health has stated that a quarantine location does not pose a public safety risk for the surrounding community. People in the facility will not be in public places and coronaviruses are not known to linger in the air.

Anyone who becomes sick during the quarantine process will be evaluated for symptoms of coronavirus and taken to a medical facility, if needed.

The Department of Health is required to take security measures to ensure that the premises are secure at all times. They will also be required to provide a plan on how they will handle contaminated materials, including wastewater, should individuals test positive for the virus.