Latest on Tri-Cities police plans to disperse crowds, coronavirus testing and generosity

Kennewick police will be dispersing large crowds like the one that gathered last Friday night for the weekly “car show” in the parking lot at Highway 395 and West Clearwater Avenue, said police Lt. Aaron Clem.

He was among the local officials who spoke at a Thursday news conference in Kennewick to update residents on the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in the Tri-Cities area.

Officials shared information on the status of testing, the community’s generosity and planning for a future surge in cases.

“COVID-19 is in our counties,” said Rick Dawson, a senior manager for the Benton Franklin Health District. “It is not specific to any one community, any one worksite, any facility or people who have tested positive. ... We need everyone to shelter at home.”

As of Thursday, the health district had reported 37 cases in the two counties it serves and four deaths caused by complications from COVID-19.

Several hundred people were at the Highlands Center parking lot in front of Gold’s Gym Friday, mostly teens and young adults whose parked cars filled the lot.

Last week Gov. Jay Inslee had limited gatherings to groups of fewer than 50, and Monday he released a stricter order, requiring people to stay home unless they are pursing an essential activity, such as a doctor’s appointment or grocery shopping.

If people gather again this Friday or there are similar large groups of socializing people, Kennewick police will approach them and educate them on why it is important not to gather in large groups to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, Clem said.

Then they will be telling them to leave the area, but they will not be arresting people, he said.

Parents can help by talking with their high school and college-age children about why it is important to stay home and why social distancing is important to keep the community safe.

The goal is to impress upon people “that just because you might not be as at risk for severe illness, somewhere in your family, in your friends you are going to have someone who is at that higher risk that we need to protect,” Dawson said.

Clem recommends that parents urge their college students who are home not to return to campus, where cases could then explode.

Cases increase

The Benton Franklin Health District reported a spike in COVID-19 cases from 21 to 37 on Thursday, which Dawson said was driven by a an increase in testing and test results.

“Every day it gets a little bit better,” Dawson said. “Testing is happening.”

Tri-City area private labs had been sending samples for analysis to North Carolina, but now they are being sent to Arizona, shortening the time between testing and the availability of results.

Within a matter of days to weeks, testing of samples may be done in the Tri-Cities, further shortening the turnaround time, he said.

The guidance for testing remains the same, with limited testing supplies prioritized for those with symptoms who are at highest risk for a serious illness and health care providers and first responders caring for people who have or are suspected of having COVID-19.

“The recommendation for each of us is if you become ill, have a fever, respiratory symptoms and you can manage those at home, please stay at home,” Dawson said.

Contact your medical provider, but you don’t necessarily need a test to tell you that you’re ill, he said.

“Our medical system needs to be able and capable to receive the most ill folks, who are most at risk,” he said.

People who are moderately ill and can manage at home are just taking the space of the time from someone who may seriously need that care, he said.

Incident command team

A Southeast Washington Incident Command Team has been coordinating for the last week with local agencies, including hospitals and emergency service providers, to ensure plans are in place for a time when patients may flood local hospitals, said Chris Hutsell, the incident commander.

“We are stable,” he said. “We are not having an influx of patients that are overwhelming our current system. That’s well and good for now. But we need to prepare for the long term.”

The planning being done now to aid the local health district will help ensure that adequate care facilities are in place, including for patients who may not need hospital care but need to be isolated.

Protective equipment

Tri-Cities area residents showed overwhelming support for a call for personal protective equipment in short supply for those on the front lines in the fight against the new coronavirus, said Deanna Davis, emergency manager for Benton County Emergency Services.

Last week the community donated over 2,000 masks, 15,000 pairs of gloves, 3,000 protective coveralls and hundreds of face shields for health care providers, hospitals and first-response agencies in Benton and Franklin counties.

Donations continue to be accepted and may be dropped off 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Franklin County Emergency Management, 1011 E. Ainsworth Ave., Pasco.

Items needed include N-95 or surgical masks, disinfecting wipes, goggles, face shields, touchless infrared thermometers, finger oximeters, hand sanitizers, isolation gowns and gloves, preferably non-latex.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 6:05 PM.