Press Release
Public Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Positive COVID-19 Contact Investigation is Underway 2 of 2

Kittitas County, WA - 03/07/2020 - As the Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) conducts the current COVID-19 disease investigation, we want to inform the public that we most likely have community spread. Community spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) means people have been infected with the virus in our area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.

New information to share with the public is:

• KCPHD has requested symptomatic family members of the patient to be tested for COVID-19.
• Person employed at local business was notified of close contact with the patient.
• Only close contacts will receive notification from KCPHD.  If you are not notified, then we have no reason to believe you had contact with our patient.

 
Information previously shared:

• Patient is 67 year old, female, who is currently at home in isolation.
• We have already isolated individuals that we know are close contacts to the patient.
• We are contacting business and agencies in our county where the patient visited, while infectious.
• The patient is active in different recreational clubs across different counties.

 
People do not always need to be tested for clinical care purposes, according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), since there is no medication to treat COVID-19.  If you have symptoms that include a fever and a cough, please take steps to protect others – stay home and stay away from others.
 
If you are experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, but do not require emergency care, Kittitas Valley Healthcare will be hosting a temporary “flu clinic” at 716 E Manitoba.  Sample collection for COVID-19 testing will be available along with staff to answer questions about the COVID-19 virus.  The clinic will be open daily from 9am to 5 pm, starting today.
 
Recommendations may change as the outbreak continues, so please continue to monitor our county website at www.co.kittitas.wa.us or our Facebook page.  We will have another update for the public by 1pm today.
 

• Positive COVID-19 Contact Investigation is Underway 2 of 2.pdf
• Press Release 03_07_2020 2of2.docx

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, (509) 962-7515