SHORELINE, Wash. — A city soccer field in Shoreline Park just west of I-5 is now fenced off to the public.
It could soon serve as the King County's next weapon in the fight to curb the spread of coronavirus.
King County and the city of Shoreline have hired a commercial tent company to install a structure that could be used as a recovery facility for those infected or suspected to be infected with the new coronavirus that causes the respiratory illness COVID-19.
“I’m glad that we’re preparing this way but at the same time it’s kind of scary that we would need to this,” said Chelsea Nunez.
Nunez is a nurse and a mom who came to the park to see the progress for herself.
“I’m not concerned about myself, but I don’t want my parents to get ill,” Nunez said.
If the facility is needed, it would add 200 beds for patients who for whatever reason can’t be quarantined at home, Shoreline city officials said.
Preparations like this are taking place across the state.
Just yesterday KING 5 learned that the National Guard helped ready a similar temporary hospital in Yakima should it need to be activated.
And Thursday afternoon, the KING 5 helicopter SkyKING spotted a project of similar size and scale moving quickly in Bellevue.
King County said that this site off Eastgate Way would be a likely recovery site.
King County isn’t saying if or when the Shoreline facility will open to patients but does say it is operating a similar facility in Kent. The county also said that work is underway on projects in North Seattle and White Center.
What are coronavirus symptoms?
The symptoms of coronavirus are similar to the flu or colds. Symptoms include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
The severity of symptoms ranges significantly. Some cases are very mild with symptoms similar to the common cold, and some cases are more like severe pneumonia that require hospitalization. Most deaths have been reported in older adults who had other health conditions, according to DOH.
Symptoms may appear as soon as two days after being exposed to the coronavirus or as long as 14 days.
A new Washington call center has been set up to answer your questions about COVID-19. If you have questions about how the virus spreads, what is being done in Washington state, and what you can do if you have symptoms, call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.