As you may have heard, health officials have confirmed Pierce County’s first case of COVID-19. The patient is in stable condition and is improving, and my sincere well-wishes are with him and his family and friends.
The health and safety of Washingtonians is my number one priority – as a lawmaker and as the Vice Chair of the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee, as a longtime health advocate and as a member of my community. Keeping our community safe and healthy in the face of a health emergency like COVID-19 takes strong communication and cooperation between health officers and elected officials of all levels, and I am proud to have worked with my House and Senate colleagues to allocate funding as swiftly as possible, and with our State Department of Health and County Public Health Officers who are doing the frontline work. Special thanks to Congressman Derek Kilmer and Councilmember Derek Young for their strong partnership and commitment to caring for our neighbors in this uncertain time.
I have faith that the $100 million that the Legislature has fast-tracked will immediately and directly support our collective response to COVID-19. I also have faith in – and deep, deep appreciation for – our health care professionals, who have been working around the clock to treat patients who have been affected and prevent further spread of the virus. It is my honor to do everything I can in support of our “boots on the ground:” first responders and health care providers who are tireless in their diligent care of our neighbors.
I will be closely monitoring updates from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department – as well as the Kitsap Public Health Districts where we’ve recently learned of four negative test results – on COVID-19 in our region as I receive them. You can find resources on my website here, or call the Washington State Department of Health at 1-800-525-0127. If you have any questions or comments for me, please do not hesitate to reach me at Emily.Randall@leg.wa.gov or at (360) 786-7650.
