One of the big challenges with the coronavirus is that people who are exposed to someone who has tested positive are asked to isolate themselves for at least a week.
Washington state health officials are expanding its Care Connect Washington program that helps them continue to carry on with their lives. “Our goal for Care Connect Washington is to provide a helpful bridge for people in isolation and quarantines so that they can stay home, take care of themselves, protect others and stop the spread of Covid-19," said Lacy Fehrenbach, the Department of Health’s deputy secretary of state for Covid-19 response..
Fehrenbach says those people become eligible when a contact tracer or case investigator calls to inquire about them. If they want, they’ll be connected with someone from local agencies and businesses that can provide things they need.
“Things like personal care kits, non-perishable food kits, as well as fresh food orders, that are deliver to people’s homes so they are allowed to stay home. Care Connect also helps folks access local resources or services that they may be eligible for or provide assistance in paying bills such as rent and utilities," she said.
Fehrenbach says the program began in Yakima County and was expanded to the Tri-Cities. Now the state is introducing Care Connect in south central and southwestern Washington, with a goal of moving it to other regions soon.