Gov. Jay Inslee has extended the stay-at-home order to May 4 in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
The order, first announced March 23, bans all gatherings, closes non-essential businesses unless employees can work from home, and requires all residents to stay home unless engaging in an essential activity.
“Social distancing is saving lives, and extending the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order is critical to continuing to flatten the curve,” Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a statement about the stay-home extension. “The City, County, and State took early action to encourage social distancing in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and the preliminary data shows that our efforts are working.”
The City of Seattle reports that the Institute for Disease Modeling issued two new reports with preliminary data that showed the transmissions by infected individuals decreased from the end of February, when it was 2.7, to 1.4 by March 18. While the data is preliminary, initial research shows the stay-home order appears to be decreasing and slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have implemented a series of actions that support artists, nonprofits, small businesses, and workers, including: Â
- Deferring utility payments for customers impacted by COVID-19;
- Implementing a temporary moratorium on residential, small business, and nonprofit evictions to provide relief for working people financially impacted by COVID-19;
- Creating temporary restaurant loading zones to facilitate curbside pickup at restaurants;
- Announcing a small business relief package that included deferred business taxes and a stabilization fund;
- Creating a new Arts Recovery Package to provide immediate financial relief to artists and cultural organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19;
- Providing 6,250 Seattle families with $800 in grocery vouchers; and
- Providing rent relief to tenants of City-owned facilities.
- Building the #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map to help residents find restaurants, bars, cafes, and breweries offering takeout or delivery in their neighborhood.
The City has also created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19, which is updated with any new information.
Photo: Governor Jay Inslee | Facebook