[Story Updated] Public Health investigates COVID-19 outbreak associated with Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie

UPDATE |October 1st

I spoke to Alan Stephens, the General Manager/Area Manager of the Salish Lodge & Spa, briefly last night on the phone. He wanted to personally affirm to everyone that the Lodge is doing everything it possibly can and will continue to do everything it can, to assure the health and safety of their customers and employees.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Lodge has adhered to self-imposed, extremely stringent health, sanitation, and safety COVID-19 prevention protocols that exceed recommendations from federal, state and local health agencies. Additionally, for the past several months, the Lodge has been working with STChealth, an occupational health care company, to implement intensive screening and testing protocols for their employees. For example, as a part of their daily health care screening, all team members participate in temperature checks before they start their shifts and must wear masks and other PPE when interacting with guests.

 Most recently, the Lodge has been engaging Seattle & King County Public Health and an epidemiologist from STChealth to control a spike in COVID-19 cases they believe parallels a spike of cases in our region. In the past week, they have done two full rounds of COVID testing for their team members.

Based on those testing results, and in an abundance of caution, management decided to suspend operations until October 8th.

Stephens wants everyone to be reassured that their team has been proactively and consistently taking extreme care to prevent COVID-19 while creating an exceptional guest experience. In accordance with the definition of “close contact” provided by Public Health, it is highly unlikely that disease transmissions between team members and guests could have occurred at the Lodge. Nevertheless, the guest services team is attempting to connect with all guests who have stayed at the Lodge in the past two weeks to answer questions and to assist with any concerns.

 Further to the extremely stringent cleaning protocols referenced above, Salish has engaged a third-party professional partner to supplement their ongoing internal cleaning efforts throughout the entire property.

 Stephens repeated his statement that team members and guests’ health and safety remain their top priority, and that is why they recommended suspending operations. If you have questions, please contact info@salishlodge.com

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ORIGINAL STORY

Seattle & King County is investigating an outbreak of COVID-19 associated with the Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie. Public Health is recommending anyone who visited the Salish Lodge & Spa overnight or as a guest during the day get tested for COVID-19 and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. Salish Lodge & Spa is working with public health to implement recommendations.

Outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Salish Lodge & Spa

Seattle & King County is investigating an outbreak of COVID-19 cases associated with the Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie. At least 25 cases are connected to this outbreak including 23 staff and two guests.

Anyone who visited the Salish Lodge & Spa as an overnight guest or anyone who visited the Lodge, restaurant, spa or giftshop as a day visitor:

  • From Sept. 16, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2020 should get tested for COVID-19, monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and avoid close contact with others. Public Health recommends that anyone who visited the lodge during this time should quarantine and stay away from others for 14 days.
  • From September 5, 2020, through September 15, 2020, and did not develop symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to be tested for COVID-19 or quarantine for 14 days unless recommended or required by your healthcare provider or Public Health.

For those seeking testing and currently without symptoms, the ideal testing window is at least five to seven days after visiting the Lodge & Spa. If you develop COVID-19-like symptoms, get tested right away. More information about testing, including a list of free test sites, is available on King County’s COVID-19 testing webpage.

Salish Lodge & Spa is fully cooperating with Public Health to implement recommendations and is facilitating testing for staff to reduce the risk of further transmission. Out of abundance of caution, Salish Lodge & Spa is also temporarily suspending operations and will be working with Public Health – Seattle & King County to determine when it is safe to restart operations.

Public Health is asking media and the community to share this information to help alert guests about the potential exposure to COVID-19, particularly guests who may have visited the Salish Lodge & Spa for a shorter or day-visit. The Lodge & Spa does not maintain contact information for visitors unless they stay overnight at the Lodge & Spa. 

At Salish, it is always our mission to take care of our team members and guests in every way we can. We have done everything possible to protect our guests and team members since the beginning of the pandemic, including elevating our health, hygiene, safety, and sanitation protocols and following health agency guidance. We have further intensified these efforts by proactively partnering with Public Health – Seattle & King County to provide widespread and expedited testing for our team members, as well as engaging a third-party for full-property sanitization on top of our already elevated standards,” said Alan Stephens, General Manager of Salish Lodge & Spa

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Comments

  • The Makahs, in response to the pandemic, restricted access to their entire reservation, including (with the cooperation of the NPS) 10+ miles of wilderness coast. Because it was the right thing to do for the safety of their people and the public in general.
    Of course, it’s not a big moneymaker like the Salish.
    One might question where the Muckleshoot’s priorities lie.

  • This is a report from management. How does the staff feel about Salish’s response? Have any of them been interviewed?

    1. No. I’m happy to do that but interviewing one provided by the Salish wouldn’t be appropriate and I don’t know any personally. If any would like to be interviewed and contact info@livingsnoqualmie.com I’d be happy to speak to them

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