King County has been selected as a recipient of American City & County’s Crown Communities Awards for its comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects submitted for consideration are judged on uniqueness, short- and long-term value to the community and effective/innovative financing.
King County has been selected as a recipient of American City & County’s Crown Communities Awards for its comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects submitted for consideration are judged on uniqueness, short- and long-term value to the community and effective/innovative financing.
"King County was ground zero for the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic,” said Executive Constantine. “Led by Public Health - Seattle & King County, and supported by multiple county departments, we stood up a comprehensive pandemic response from day one, with a focus on equity to ensure those communities most impacted by COVID-19 had access to the resources that continue to keep everyone healthy during these difficult times."
The award recognizes the collaborative work across all departments during the pandemic, including:
Standing up Isolation and Quarantine (I/Q) facilities;
Developing and staffing of COVID-safe transit vehicles;
Developing policies and protocols for the nation’s first civilian COVID isolation and quarantine system;
Delivering robust trauma-informed services (including supported shelter de-intensification sites, vaccination sites and partnerships, and much more) for all King County residents including those with complex physical and behavioral health care needs; and
Emphasizing an Equity and Social Justice approach: King County declared racism a public health crisis, equal to COVID, collaborating with the community on the pandemic response.
“Our approach has worked - we succeeded in slowing the spread to preserve hospital capacity, some of the highest vaccination rates in the nation, and thousands of lives saved,” said Executive Constantine. “ I am grateful to our dedicated employees, community partners, and the people of King County, who have worked together over the course of this pandemic to keep our community safe"
