Two healthcare workers are among Ketchikan’s six confirmed coronavirus cases. That’s according to a Sunday afternoon news release from PeaceHealth, the Washington state-based nonprofit that runs Ketchikan’s hospital.
PeaceHealth spokesperson Mischa Chernick said in a Sunday afternoon phone interview that one of the employees recently spent a day with patients at PeaceHealth Medical Group, the hospital’s outpatient clinic. The other, she said, was an administrator at the clinic. She declined to provide more specific information, citing medical privacy laws.
“PeaceHealth Medical Group is handling the situation with the utmost respect to privacy while also informing potentially affected patients and employees and taking swift measures to mitigate spread of the virus,” the release said.
The clinic will be closed Monday and Tuesday as crews disinfect the building. Patients with scheduled appointments will be contacted for a telemedicine appointment or to reschedule for a later date, according to the release.
The two PeaceHealth employees are in isolation at home, the release said.
This story has been updated
