Washington State has a serious coronavirus problem and they have been making it worse.

Local officials in Washington State recently settled on two locations to house people exposed to the coronavirus who may have no safe place to isolate themselves: a former Econo Lodge Motel in the city of Kent, south of Seattle, and another location in an unincorporated part of the county, both of which serve mostly lower-income neighborhoods.

The plan quickly ran into trouble. Kent’s mayor, Dana Ralph, said that neither of the two communities had experienced any cases of the virus before the new facilities opened, and that residents of her town have wondered if their city was chosen to protect wealthier neighborhoods around Seattle.

Residents and political leaders circulated petitions, complaining that their communities were becoming sacrifice zones for the coronavirus and warning that businesses could suffer and neighbors could become infected.

Then on Friday some of their fears were confirmed: One of the first residents at the converted motel, a homeless person who was awaiting the results of a coronavirus test, ignored the instructions of a security guard and wandered away, eventually taking a northbound bus, King County officials said in a statement.

The bus was taken out of service for cleaning and sanitation; the community was still reeling.