79 Seattle firefighters quarantined after exposure to coronavirus

SEATTLE - A total of 79 Seattle Fire Department responders have been placed in quarantine or isolation since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in late February, officials said Friday.

Of those, 43 remain off-duty, and 36 others have completed their 14-day quarantine, said Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kristin Tinsley.

She said the department immediately conducts a review whenever an employee or a patient they have treated tests positive for COVID-19, to determine who was exposed.

Through these investigations, as of Friday, the department currently has 43 members who are either in quarantine or isolation as a precaution. If they are showing no symptoms, they are placed in quarantine. If they are showing symptoms, they are placed in isolation and are tested for coronavirus.

Since the beginning of tracking COVID-19 responses, the department has had 79 members impacted. Of those, 36 have completed their 14-day quarantine and returned to work, while 43 remain in quarantine or isolation.

Tinsley says the department remains fully operational despite the temporary loss of dozens of firefighters.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson said the city of Kirkland has nine firefighters in quarantine at this time. Numbers for other local fire districts were not immediately available.

Tinsley said people calling 911 for something other than COVID-19 should notify dispatchers if they have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing, so that responders can wear the appropriate gear to protect themselves.