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Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood discussed local and state efforts to address the new coronavirus pandemic Wednesday in separate phone calls with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Their March 25 conversations focused on efforts to flatten the curve of the virus’ spread, the outbreak of coronavirus cases at Shuksan Healthcare Center in Bellingham, and an inevitable increase in positive cases, aides to Sidhu and Fleetwood said.

“We had a constructive conversation and identified important issues which need to be addressed,” Sidhu wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. “Gov. Inslee and his team are working very hard, just as we are here in Whatcom County through Unified Command. I appreciate that the governor recognizes the full magnitude of this COVID-19 event, which we see in his ‘Stay Home — Stay Healthy’ proclamation. There is a lot of work ahead, and cooperation across all levels of government is critical.”