King County reserves hotel rooms for health care workers on front lines

KING COUNTY, Wash. — As health care workers on the front lines face real fears about carrying the coronavirus home to their families, King County has stepped up and has reserved hotel rooms on the eastside to help them.

Jane Hopkins, a registered nurse and the vice president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, said it is a relief to hear the county is paying for many of them to stay at a hotel.

"Health care workers are happier, patients are happier because of this huge move that has been made," Hopkins said. "It is just so vital."

Hopkins said the hotel rooms are necessary for health care workers because many of them are putting their families at risk just by doing their jobs.

"There's been health care workers that are coming to work and not having the right PPE and worried that they're going to take that home to their families. So, this was the right thing to do," Hopkins said.

The county reserved a block of 80 rooms at Hotel 116 in Bellevue, which is located near several hospitals and clinics. They will only be available to the workers through June.

"It is everything knowing that, although I'm doing this very important job, my family is going to be safe."

Seattle is also helping by allowing nurses to park free around hospitals. The city is also providing free child care.

However, Hopkins said many of Washington’s health care workers on the front lines still need a lot of help.

"It's getting us where we need to be, but it's not enough," Hopkins stated.

Health care workers are not the only ones at risk of exposing their family to the virus, but first responders are facing the same problem.

King County said it is working on finalizing hotel space for them too.

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