As the highly infectious Omicron variant spreads at a rapid rate across the state, and cases in King County tripled from the highest peak seen previously in the pandemic, we expect a continued upward trend in January. King County urges people to prepare and take the necessary precautions to slow the spread, and as part of the overarching effort by the County to help reduce transmission and keep our hospital beds available for people with acute healthcare needs, the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is temporarily operating an Isolation and Quarantine (I/Q) Facility in Auburn at 9 16th Street NW.
The I/Q site opened on January 3 and will temporarily utilize the Auburn Clarion Inn, a Health through Housing hotel purchased in July 2021. The I/Q site offers 100 safe, clean, and comfortable rooms for people to safely isolate. These rooms provide a place to rest and recover when that space is unavailable at home for any number of reasons including the fragility of the health of a family member, or for people who do not have a home. The Auburn I/Q service is free, and will provide 24-hour security, effective transportation to accommodate guests, robust medical, behavioral health, and operational staffing. You can learn more about the services offered here.
As the numbers continue to rise, all County residents are urged to follow established guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19 by Public Health—Seattle & King County:
- Get vaccinated and boosted; boosters are authorized and recommended for people 16+
- Get tested and stay home when you have symptoms: kingcounty.gov/covid/sites
- Mask up and avoid crowds, especially indoors
- Keep clean air flowing indoors: kingcounty.gov/covid/air
All precautions will be taken at the Auburn facility. We thank city leadership, including Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus for her leadership, and for understanding the critical all-hands moment we are in to help reduce the prevalence of COVID-19 in and around King County. The Auburn I/Q site is the fourth I/Q site the County has opened since March 2020 and provided a safe place to more than 3,400 people. Two of the sites are currently operational.
The hotel will convert back to its originally planned use as a Health through Housing site once the facility is no longer needed to support isolation and quarantine efforts.
To access services, call the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily to learn more.
