Whatcom County executive asks Inslee for state’s help to get more coronavirus test kits
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood discussed local and state efforts to address the new coronavirus pandemic Wednesday in separate phone calls with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
Their March 25 conversations focused on efforts to flatten the curve of the virus’ spread, the outbreak of coronavirus cases at Shuksan Healthcare Center in Bellingham, and an inevitable increase in positive cases, aides to Sidhu and Fleetwood said.
“We had a constructive conversation and identified important issues which need to be addressed,” Sidhu wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. “Gov. Inslee and his team are working very hard, just as we are here in Whatcom County through Unified Command. I appreciate that the governor recognizes the full magnitude of this COVID-19 event, which we see in his ‘Stay Home — Stay Healthy’ proclamation. There is a lot of work ahead, and cooperation across all levels of government is critical.”
Sidhu asked for the state’s help to obtain more COVID-19 test kits and the need for more testing capacity, which remain limited nationwide.
Inslee and Sidhu also discussed the general need for more qualified health-care workers, because hospitals and other facilities will see an increase in patients and some firefighters, doctors, nurses and others will become sick or be forced to quarantine or self-isolate.
Sidhu suggested that the resources of Northwest Washington counties could be pooled to address COVID-19 response needs more effectively and they also discussed the possibility of using public buildings in the way that Bellingham High School is being used as a temporary shelter and food provision site.
Inslee said his office would be providing further clarification about which services are considered essential services under the state’s stay home order.
Meanwhile, Fleetwood said he told Inslee that the city of Bellingham and county agencies are “implementing solutions as fast as we can” together.
“I pledged our city’s continued cooperation and collaboration with state leaders as we face these very uncertain and challenging times,” Fleetwood said. “I assured Gov. Inslee that we are urging our community to follow his ‘Stay Home — Stay Healthy’ directive to protect the health of everyone in our community and beyond.”
Fleetwood said Bellingham is preparing to take full advantage of anticipated federal and state actions to help with economic recovery.
“We are actively implementing solutions to slow the spread of illness and lead our community to be better positioned for recovery,” Fleetwood said.
