Dock workers grab the rope to secure the ferry MV Coho as it arrives in Port Angeles on Wednesday on a scheduled sailing from Victoria. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Dock workers grab the rope to secure the ferry MV Coho as it arrives in Port Angeles on Wednesday on a scheduled sailing from Victoria. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Clallam County sees first COVID-19 case

Coho ferry service suspended

PORT ANGELES — As expected, it’s finally here: The first case of COVID-19 in a Clallam County resident has been reported to health officials.

The county’s announcement came the same day that Black Ball Ferry Line declared a suspension of service between Port Angeles and Victoria from March 30-April 30 due to the coronavirus.

The Clallam County case brings to five the number of cases of the unique coronavirus that have been detected in residents of Clallam and Jefferson counties, four of which were reported in Jefferson over the past few weeks.

The Clallam County man, who is in his 60s, was exposed through a King County connection, county Health and Human Services said Wednesday in a press release.

“He is at home in isolation and doing well,” Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Peter Raiswell said in an interview.

Vehicles line up for loading onto the ferry MV Coho for a sailing from Port Angeles to Victoria on Wednesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Vehicles line up for loading onto the ferry MV Coho for a sailing from Port Angeles to Victoria on Wednesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

The newest coronavirus case was revealed as county and health officials continued to prepare measures to deal with the virus, including for the homeless.

In Clallam County, Commissioner Randy Johnson was planning to meet with Port of Port Angeles officials Wednesday in preparation to lease up to about 70,000 square feet of a port building.

It will be used as a COVID-19 shelter for homeless people with coronavirus symptoms such as coughing and respiratory ailments.

The project is moving forward in partnership with Serenity House of Clallam County, Johnson said Wednesday.

Port Executive Director Karen Goschen said up to 70,000 square feet is available at the port’s 1010 Building near William Fairchild International Airport and expects a lease will be signed once the details are ironed out.

The Clallam County courthouse also closed off or restricted access to several offices.

Walk-in traffic at the Auditor’s, Assessor’s and Treasurer’s offices was cut off, and the Department of Community Development was limiting counter customers to two at a time.

Olympic National Park also shut down visitor center offices Tuesday, closing Hurricane Ridge Road at the Heart ‘O The Hills entrance station, although hiking trails remained open.

And Safeway stores — there are two in Port Angeles, one in Sequim and one in Port Townsend — will begin reserving 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday for seniors over 60 and other shoppers vulnerable to the coronavirus, such as pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems and those advised to stay at home, Albertsons, Safeway’s parent company, said Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, 102 tests had been conducted on Clallam County resident with 19 coming back negative and 82 pending, according to Clallam County Health and Human services.

Pamela and Jacob Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla., examine a map of Olympic National Park outside the shuttered park visitor center in Port Angeles on Wednesday. In a move to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, park officials decided to close three visitor centers and close Hurricane Ridge Road. However, Olympic National Park remains open to visitation and camping at several seasonal campgrounds. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Pamela and Jacob Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla., examine a map of Olympic National Park outside the shuttered park visitor center in Port Angeles on Wednesday. In a move to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, park officials decided to close three visitor centers and close Hurricane Ridge Road. However, Olympic National Park remains open to visitation and camping at several seasonal campgrounds. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

In Jefferson County, 242 people had been tested, with 103 negative results and 135 tests pending, according to Jefferson County Public Health.

As in Clallam County, the four Jefferson County cases are presumed to be from out-of-county exposure.

“We’ve had a bunch more tests go out this week,” county Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke said.

“We were deliberately trying to do as many tests as we could get in, or at least a sampling of sick people, to see if the infection was extensive.”

Community-level transmission has not been confirmed in Jefferson County but is likely in the near future, Locke said in a press release Tuesday.

The newest case of COVID-19 came as no surprise to Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry Unthank.

“We anticipated we would start to see more cases here and we are,” she said in the press release.

Individuals the man had close contact with identified as a “small group” have been asked to self quarantine of isolate themselves at home, the release said.

The man most recently infected is not connected to the two county residents who had contact with COVID-19-positive King County residents over the weekend, Raiswell said.

Test results in that case, which involved tracking down people the two residents had contact with, are pending, Unthank said.at the briefing.

It was unclear whether the county’s first COVID-19 case would open the way for more test kits, as Unthank had suggested in the Tuesday briefing would occur once Clallam County had a case.

Black Ball’s announcement came as the U.S. and Canada agreed to temporarily close the northern border to non-essential traffic.

Trade will not be affected, President Donald Trump said in a Wednesday morning tweet announcing the move.

Black Ball said in its declaring the temporary shutdown that last sailing of the MV Coho from Port Angeles will depart at 2 p.m. March 29. with the last sailing from Victoria departing at 4 p.m. the same day.

“Unfortunately, we are making some difficult announcements,” Black Ball co-owner Ryan Malane said in an email, “just like many of our industry colleagues.”

About 80 percent of COVID-19 cases can be managed at home through quarantine or isolation, but homeless residents don’t have a home to go to to get well, Locke said.

He said Jefferson County officials are working on measures similar to those being set up for homeless residents in Clallam County.

Johnson said Clallam County recently received $433,000 in state funds to take care of the homeless population during the pandemic, money that will help cover what could be a lease with the port of four months for homeless people showing symptoms. The lease by law will be at market rate, Goschen said.

Healthy Families of Clallam County and Forks Abuse Program have also requested funding from the grant.

Johnson said he hopes to have the shelter in operation by April 1.

Jefferson County and Port Townsend officials have closed administrative office deemed non-essential.

________

Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

The ferry MV Coho backs into its landing after returning to Port Angeles on Tuesday following annual dry dock and maintenance in Anacortes. During the maintenance period, extensive work was performed on the dock, including replacement of a wing wall used to steer and secure the vessel during loading and unloading of cars and passengers. The ferry is scheduled to resume daily service between Port Angeles and Victoria on Thursday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Coho returns

The ferry MV Coho backs into its landing after returning to Port… Continue reading

Building association calls for city to cease utility charges

Association says charges unconstitutional

Jefferson Land Trust considering conservation burial ground

Funds from plot sales could fund habitat improvements

Port Angeles artist Bob Stokes sits in his studio and music venue on Wednesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Art community mourns Bob Stokes’ passing

Legacy includes statues, concerts, gatherings

Clallam PUD
Cindy Kimble, Clallam PUD’s customer and community outreach programs coordinator, can help residents navigate the utility district’s revamped low-income energy assistance program.
Clallam PUD hires staff to help low-income customers

Clallam County Public Utility District has overhauled its low-income energy… Continue reading

Jen Colmore, left, and June Nichols of the Sequim Food Bank serve a sample of chili to Monica Dixon of Sequim during Saturday’s Community Chili Cookoff at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. The event, organized by the club and Boy Scout Troop 90, showcased the culinary skills of six community organizations with each group receiving a share of the proceeds and the winner taking a $500 prize. The food bank’s chili recipe took top honors in the competition. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Chili cookoff

Jen Colmore, left, and June Nichols of the Sequim Food Bank serve… Continue reading

Port Townsend to test sewer system with smoke, dye

The city of Port Townsend will test its sewer… Continue reading

JUMP! Playground to close for renovations

Jefferson County Parks and Recreation will close the JUMP! Playground… Continue reading

Barcy Fisher, left, and Patti Buckland have been selected as the 2024 Marrowstone Island Citizens of the Year.
Fisher, Buckland honored as Marrowstone Island citizens of year

Barcy Fisher and Patty Buckland were named Marrowstone Island’s 2024… Continue reading

About 800 people from Jefferson and Clallam counties spill out from the steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse onto Jefferson Street in Port Townsend on Monday to take part in a National Day of Protest organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.” (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Hundreds protest actions of Trump administration

Activists cite USAID, worry about Treasury, impacts of immigration

Peninsula to welcome Canadian visitors

Celebration of Coho passengers planned

Fish barrier removal to impact highway traffic

Portions of roadway to have long-term closures