Seattle's F5 Tower Empty Monday Amid Coronavirus Fears: Report

SEATTLE, WA — The F5 Tower in downtown Seattle is empty Monday amid caution over contact between an employee and a person who had tested positive for COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, according to a release from F5. The employee has since tested negative, but the building remained closed out of an abundance of caution.

"An F5 employee in our Seattle headquarters has been in contact with an individual who has tested positive," for COVID-19, the release says.

"We are committed to supporting this employee’s health, as well as protecting their privacy. Our employee was tested, and the results showed they do not have COVID-19."

A Q13FOX report says the only people present in the building Monday were part of a cleaning crew.

The decision comes as King County declared a state of emergency Monday morning following the increased death toll from COVID-19, which has raised to six in the county.

Officials said four deaths and eight infections were among patients who were residents at a Kirkland senior housing facility.

According to King County Public Health, two more patients have died, and four more cases have been confirmed in the county since Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 18 in Washington state. Health officials said the latest deaths included a patient whose illness was previously announced.

Related: 6 Washington Coronavirus Deaths; King County Declares Emergency

A spokesperson from F5 Networks said their concern is with the health and safety of their employees, customers and communities worldwide. They said they are "sanitizing our offices and closing the F5 Tower for business on March 2; encouraging local employees to work from home; postponing or converting large in-person events to virtual meetings; and prohibiting all international and domestic non-essential business travel.