FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             March 2, 2020                            
CONTACT:   Heather Thomas, 425.339.8688, hthomas@snohd.org

First Death from Coronavirus (COVID-19) of Snohomish County resident. Fourth case announced.

*Updated at 3:32 p.m. March 2

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – The Snohomish Health District has received notice of a new case of COVID-19. The presumptive positive test result came back from the State Public Health Laboratory, bringing the total number of cases in Snohomish County to four. The District has also just learned that one of its cases previously reported has sadly passed away.

New case information:

• A female in her 40s, currently hospitalized with underlying health conditions.

Updated case information:

• Previously announced male in his 40s hospitalized at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland has died. The patient was a Snohomish County resident. He was not an employee at LifeCare. He did have underlying conditions. No additional details are available at this time. 

Previously announced cases:

• Original case in January, fully recovered
• Student at Jackson High School announced Friday, isolating at home

The Health District is leading the effort to as quickly as possible identify close contacts of the new confirmed case. At this time, it appears to be another case of community transmission.

How the public can help:

• Do not go to the emergency room unless essential. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. 
• Healthcare providers and employers should not be referring individuals to the Snohomish Health District. We are not a healthcare facility. The District will coordinate with healthcare providers to determine if testing requests met criteria. 
• Healthcare providers should not be sending patients to the hospital unless they meet hospital admissions criteria. Providers should refer to health alerts being sent for clinician guidance. 
• If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, call your regular doctor first.
• Stay home when sick.
• Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including handwashing, coughing into tissue or elbow, avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Stay informed. Information is changing frequently. Check the Health District’s website (www.snohd.org/ncov2019) or follow on social media. 

As we anticipate more cases, the Health District will no longer issue press releases for each individual case. Updates will be posted on the website at www.snohd.org/ncov2019 by 4:00 p.m. each day. 

The Board of Health will receive a briefing today at 5:00 p.m. with latest updates. That meeting will be livestreamed through the Snohomish Health District’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SnohomishHealth.