Coronavirus: Two people test ‘presumptive positive’ in western Washington

Two new cases of the coronavirus were reported in the Seattle area, according to officials with the Washington State Department of Health.

The cases are currently being classified as “presumptive positives,” which means a test has come back positive at the Public Health Laboratory and is pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Washington State Department of Health held a news briefing, giving an update on two new coronavirus cases in the state. Watch below.

The first is a teen with no travel history who attends Jackson High School in Mill Creek. The teen is at home in isolation but visited Seattle Children’s North Clinic on Monday.

There’s a concern the teen acquired the virus in the community, health officials said, and they are working to identify how the teen was exposed and are trying to track down people who might have come in contact with the patient.

Snohomish County Health District officials said they are working with Everett Public Schools to make sure all students and staff at Jackson High School are safe.

Out of an abundance of caution, the superintendent decided to close Jackson High next Monday to allow three days for deep cleaning and disinfecting.

The second person is a King County woman in her 50s who traveled to Daegu, South Korea, and is at home in isolation. The woman did not need medical attention and is recovering without complications. According to health officials, she has not been out in public since she started getting symptoms.

Below is a letter from the Everett Public Schools to families about the coronavirus case and how the district is responding:

"We wanted to be the first to let you know the Snohomish Health District notified us tonight we have a case of coronavirus, or COVID-19, involving one of our schools. A Jackson High School student has tested presumptive positive for the virus, and we have been in ongoing communication with the Department of Health and the Snohomish Health District to determine how we should proceed.

The student was not in school most of this week, but was on campus briefly this morning. The few students they were in contact with have been notified and will remain home for 14 days with symptom monitoring by the Snohomish Health District. The student has a sibling at Gateway Middle School who is not symptomatic, but out of an abundance of caution, is being tested and will remain out of school in quarantine until tests results are back.

We are taking this very seriously and as a precautionary measure we have decided to close Jackson High School on Monday, March 2, so we have three days for deep disinfecting.

We will continue to follow the authorities’ recommendations on how to proceed and keep all of our student’s healthy. This is a rapidly changing situation, but please be assured the health and safety of our students are of utmost importance and we will keep everyone informed."

How can you prevent the spread of COVID-19?

• Prevention starts with practicing good personal health habits: Wash your hands often with soap and water.

• Stay home when you’re sick.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.

• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.

• Get plenty of rest, drink fluids, eat healthy foods and manage your stress to help prevent getting COVID-19 and recover from it if you do.

DOH has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

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