Coronavirus a ‘slow-moving earthquake’ Whatcom Unified Command is working to ease
Whatcom County officials last week created a single agency to address the new coronavirus.
A Wednesday, March 18, statement from Whatcom Unified Command: COVID-19 Joint Information Center was signed by the county executive, mayors of all county cities, tribal officials, some elected members of the Port of Bellingham and the Whatcom County Council, and other officials.
It gives Whatcom Unified Command the power to make decisions regarding pandemic response after taking recommendations from a policy group of local elected leaders.
Its goal is to streamline how local agencies react in times of crisis or natural disaster.
“As your county executive, I want to assure you that the county is working around the clock to mobilize the resources needed to address the COVID-19 outbreak,” Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said in a video statement Wednesday.
“Your resilience during this difficult time is very important,” Sidhu said. “Together, we will persevere. We are in this together, and we will get through this successfully and gracefully.”
He urged everyone to follow the guidelines issued by the Whatcom County Health Department to help slow the infection’s spread.
In its statement, Whatcom Unified Command urged residents to be patient and kind to one another, and to avoid panic and hoarding of food and supplies.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
“Since January, your local government, following the lead of the Whatcom County Health Department, has been working tirelessly to address the crisis,” the statement said. “Now, in an effort to further support the public health response, all Whatcom County governments have consolidated efforts under a unified command, so that issues such as border crossings, supply chain disruptions and economic impacts can be addressed through a single coordinated and common front. This unified command is comprised of the best and most qualified in Whatcom County from local, state, federal, tribal and private sector personnel.”
John Gargett, deputy director of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management, told The Bellingham Herald that the unified command process began locally Jan. 21, when officials saw the threat posed by the new virus as it spread unchecked in China.
A unified command is part of a disaster management process established 50 years ago, enabling local, state and federal officials to work together in times of crisis, pool their resources and simplify decision-making.
Its initial focus was wildfires, earthquakes and major plane crashes, but it has been expanded to include a variety of other disasters — including windstorms, floods and pandemics, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Here’s how FEMA defines a unified command: “In incidents involving multiple jurisdictions, a single jurisdiction with multiagency involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement, unified command allows agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional authorities and responsibilities to work together effectively without affecting individual agency authority, responsibility, or accountability.”
Jed Holmes, spokesman for Sidhu, told The Bellingham Herald that Gargett is one of three officials now managing Whatcom County’s response to the COVIC-19 pandemic.
Others are Bill Hewett, Bellingham fire chief, and John Wolpers, an incident commander with the Whatcom County Health Department.
Hewett, in a briefing to the Bellingham City Council last week, called the pandemic a “slow-moving earthquake” and assured the council that officials were working together ease local effects of the crisis.
