Officials bought a motel in Kent, Wash., to hold coronavirus patients; neighbors are enraged
by Richard Read, Los Angeles Times
Mar 06, 2020
4 minutes
SEATTLE - Health officials here thought they found a fine place to quarantine COVID-19 patients: a motel that was up for sale.
This week King County completed the $4 million purchase of an Econo Lodge in Kent, Wash., a diverse, lower-income community of 130,000 just south of Seattle.
"We hope to have it operational within days," County Executive Dow Constantine announced Wednesday at a news conference on the mounting coronavirus deaths. Officials said it could house up to about 80 patients.
But the plan has created a firestorm of opposition in Kent, where community leaders feel blindsided.
"We have invested millions
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