Summary

King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn introduced legislation to update county plans to include a pandemic response incorporating lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Story

King County Vice Chair Reagan Dunn on Monday introduced legislation to create a new pandemic response plan and update emergency plans in King County that deal with pandemic responses. The new emergency plans would incorporate lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreak and would include a response plan specifically for pandemics.

 “Everything we are learning during our COVID-19 response should inform the creation of efficient, effective pandemic response plans,” Dunn said. “In the case of a future pandemic, remembering the lessons of history will help us save lives and get our County back on its feet as soon as possible.”

If the legislation is approved, King County’s Office of Emergency Management and Public Health – Seattle & King County would be tasked with creating a new pandemic response plan, expanding on the existing Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, and updating the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Regional Coordination Framework, Regional Recovery Plan, King County Continuity of Operations Plan and any other relevant emergency management plans.

The updated plans would be required to include a discussion of known diseases that could reach pandemic status in the next 50 years, a response plan for addressing each type of pandemic, options for keeping King County operations and services active throughout various phases of these pandemics, and identification of infrastructure or resources needed to respond to various pandemics.

Updated emergency plans would be due to the King County Council by September 1, 2021.

This legislation will be introduced at Full Council on May 12, 2020 and heard in the Committee of the Whole on May 19, 2020.