COVID-19 outbreak reported at a Bellingham learning and childcare facility
A Bellingham childcare and early learning center says it saw an outbreak of COVID-19 cases last week and temporarily closed the facility in response.
The Seedlings Early Learning Center was notified Thursday, Sept. 24, that an individual associated with the center had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, according to a statement sent to The Bellingham Herald.
Since that initial positive test, three additional people associated with two classrooms at the center have also been diagnosed with the respiratory illness, the center reported.
“We immediately notified all families and staff who could have been exposed, as well as all the families in our center and contacted the Whatcom County Health Department for guidance,” the statement read.
Any individuals in close contact with the four confirmed cases were referred to the department of health for self-quarantining and testing instructions, according to the statement.
The center not only decided to close the two classrooms associated with the four infections, but closed the entire facility on Friday, Sept. 25, “to ensure the health and safety of all our children, families and staff,” the statement read.
The Seedlings received word from the health department that it could reopen some of its classrooms on Tuesday, Sept. 29, owner and director Kim Walbeck told The Herald in a follow-up email, and two classrooms re-opened Wednesday.
Before the outbreak, The Seedlings was adhering to childcare guidance provided by the Washington State Department of Health and licensing requirements set by the Department of Youth, Children and Families, according to the release. That included daily health checks, mask-wearing, physical distancing and keeping children and staff from different classrooms as separate as possible.
“We are proud to have been open during the community health crisis, supporting families of essential workers as well as other workers as more (businesses) have been able to open,” the statement read. “The health and (well-being) of our children, families and staff is of the utmost importance as we move forward in process of reopening.”
According to its website, The Seedlings, which is located on Bennett Drive, offers infant, toddler and preschool care. The facility has one room for infant care, two classrooms for toddlers and three classrooms from preschool children.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 11:52 AM.
