COVID-19 Spike Found At Renton Hotel Housing The Houseless

SEATTLE (AP) – Officials say 30 people have tested positive for the coronavirus since mid-December at a hotel housing over 200 houseless people in Renton.

Public Health – Seattle & King County said Tuesday it’s the most cases seen since the beginning of the pandemic at any of the hotels the county is using to reduce virus transmission among houseless people.

The Red Lion Hotel in Renton was opened by the county to keep people out of crowded bunk-bed or mats-on-the-ground shelters.

After a quiet summer with few cases and a fall with only a few isolated spikes, 226 cases – including those of employees – have been connected to King County shelters and service sites or meal programs in the last month of 2020.