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The first confirmed case relating to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case was reported on January 20, and United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Human Services Secreta ...
was announced by the state of
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
on January 21, 2020. Washington made the first announcement of a death from the disease in the United States on February 29 and later announced that two deaths there on February 26 were also due to COVID-19. Until mid-March, Washington had the highest absolute number of confirmed cases and the highest number per capita of any state in the country, until it was surpassed by
New York state New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
on April 10, 2020. Many of the deceased were residents of a nursing home in Kirkland, an Eastside suburb of
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
in King County. Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
declared a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
on February 29, 2020, which was followed by a statewide
stay-at-home order A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order – also referred to by loose use of the terms quarantine, isolation, or lockdown – is an order from a government authority that restricts movements of a population as a mass qu ...
on March 23 that would last at least two weeks. Washington had 1,989,477 confirmed cases and a total of 16,100 confirmed deaths as of September 6, 2023. Public health experts agree that the true number of cases in the state is much greater than the number that have been confirmed by laboratory tests. It is very difficult to know the true number since most people experience only mild illness and testing is not widely available. , Washington has administered 16.2 million
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
doses, and has fully vaccinated 5.69 million people, equivalent to approximately 77% of the population. Approximately 15% of Washington residents have received the updated booster vaccine released in September 2022 and formulated for the
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a Variants of SARS-CoV-2, variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has ...
. On June 30, 2021, the state officially lifted capacity restrictions on businesses and most other activities, with the exception of large indoor events. Businesses were previously required to keep occupancy under 50% and maintain social distancing between patrons. Public transit systems were also permitted to operate at full capacity. The state of emergency declared by Governor Inslee expired on October 31, 2022, months after other restrictions had been lifted by state and local governments, particularly the City of Seattle.


Timeline


2020


January

On January 21, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...
(CDC) confirmed the first U.S. case in a 35-year-old man living in
Snohomish County Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most popul ...
. He had returned from
Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...
, China after visiting his family there, to the U.S., landing at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on January 15, without any symptoms. He reported to an urgent care clinic with symptoms of pneumonia on January 19 and was transported to Everett's Providence Regional Medical Center the following day. He was released from the hospital on February 3 after two weeks of treatment, including the use of the anti-viral drug
remdesivir Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, Text was copied from this source which is copyright European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. is a Broad-spectrum antiviral drug, broad-spectrum ...
, and went into isolation at home. Some earlier cases, not confirmed by PCR, have also been reported as far back as December 2019.


February

On February 19, 2020, a resident of a Life Care Centers of America nursing home in Kirkland, an Eastside King County suburb of
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, was transferred to a local hospital and later tested positive for COVID-19. On February 24, a 54-year-old man was transferred from the Life Care Center of Kirkland to
Harborview Medical Center Harborview Medical Center is a public hospital located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is owned by King County and managed by UW Medicine. Overview Harborview Medical Center is the designated Disast ...
and died there on February 26. Also on the 26th, a woman in her 80s from the center died at her family home. Both were found to have had COVID-19 and in one case this was discovered in post-mortem testing. The two deaths were announced on March 3. On February 28, a high school student at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Washington was confirmed as having the virus causing the school to be closed immediately; Mariner High School in Everett was also closed because a student's parent had the virus. The following day, researchers confirmed the coronavirus strain in the student's case may be related to the coronavirus strain in the first confirmed U.S. case from January 19, suggesting that the virus may have been spreading in the area for up to six weeks. Also on February 28, a woman in her 50s who had recently returned from
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
and who was an employee of the
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
at its Network Distribution Center facility in Federal Way, King County, tested positive. On February 29, Washington health officials made the first announcement of a death from COVID-19 in the United States (it was later discovered that a COVID-19 death occurred in California at least as early as February 6). A man in his late 50s with pre-existing chronic illness died at
EvergreenHealth EvergreenHealth is an American regional healthcare system based in the Seattle metropolitan area of Washington state. It has two general hospitals in Kirkland and Monroe, and several smaller clinics and urgent care facilities in King and Snoh ...
's hospital in Kirkland. He was not associated with the Life Care Center and although patients from the center were also in the hospital, it was not believed that any patients contracted the virus at the hospital. Officials said there was no evidence he contracted the virus through travel and they suspected community spread of the disease in King County. The man had not been tested for the virus until February 28, partly because the lab in Washington was not ready to conduct tests, and partly because until late February the CDC had been recommending testing only for those with COVID-19 symptoms who had recently traveled to China. Public health officials also reported two confirmed cases in the Life Care Center nursing home, including a woman in her 40s who was a health care worker at the facility.


March


=March 1–5

= On March 1, state public health officials confirmed two new cases in King County, both men in their 60s. One was hospitalized in critical condition at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle; the other was hospitalized in "critical but stable" condition at the Valley Medical Center in Renton. Those two cases were not linked to the cases in the nursing facility that were reported on February 29. Later the same day, officials reported four new cases associated with the Life Care long-term care facility: a woman in her 80s, a woman in her 90s, a man aged 70s who had died, and a man in his 70s in critical condition. Washington reported one additional case: a man in his 40s in critical condition, bringing the state's total to seven new cases reported on this day. The second death from coronavirus in the U.S. was reported at EvergreenHealth Kirkland. On March 2, officials announced another four deaths in the state, bringing the U.S. death toll to six. They also announced four new infections, bringing the state's caseload to 18, and the country's to 96. The total number of deaths in the state rose to nine on March 3. Additionally,
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...
confirmed that one of its Seattle employees had tested positive for coronavirus. On March 4, officials reported the tenth death in the U.S. attributable to coronavirus. King County Public Health Department reported 10 new cases, including one death. All but one case were associated with the Life Care Centers facility. In the evening,
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
announced that a contractor at its Stadium East office in Seattle was diagnosed with the virus; the office was shut down until March 9 and
remote work Remote work (also called telecommuting, telework, work from or at home, WFH as an initialism, hybrid work, and other terms) is the practice of work (human activity), working at or from one's home or Third place, another space rather than from ...
was encouraged. On March 5, the Washington State Department of Health reported 31 new cases with the first new case reported outside of Snohomish and King counties. County case totals were Snohomish County 18, including 1 death; King County 51, including 9 deaths;
Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...
1 case. Later, public health officials reported an additional death on March 4, bringing the state total deaths to 11. The
United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services which manages public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The assistant s ...
(PHS) sent 28 uniformed officers to Kirkland around this time. The PHS team consisted of physicians, physicians' assistants, nurses, technicians and other medical care personnel.


=March 6–10

= On March 6,
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
announced that two of its employees in Seattle, including one working remotely for subsidiary
LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented Social networking service, social network. It was launched on May 5, 2003 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly. Since December 2016, LinkedIn has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. ...
, tested positive. Three new deaths were reported in King County; all died at the EvergreenHealth Medical Center. In addition, public health officials in Seattle announced that a part-time concessions employee at CenturyLink Field tested positive and may have exposed attendees of a February 22
Seattle Dragons The Seattle Sea Dragons were a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Sea Dragons competed in the second incarnation of the XFL (2020), XFL. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment as the Seat ...
game. The stadium, home to the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
,
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
, and Seattle Dragons, can seat up to 72,000 people. The
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
reported that a staff member in an office away from the main campus tested positive. Classes were to be held online starting March 9, until March 20. The suburban Northshore School District confirmed classes for its 23,000 students were suspended for up to two weeks.
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
closed one of its downtown Seattle locations after an employee tested positive. On March 6, Jefferson County reported its first confirmed case, a man in his 60s who had visited a family member in Kirkland. He was treated in a Seattle area hospital, then released to return home to recover. On March 7, the Department of Health confirmed 102 cases and 16 deaths. EvergreenHealth announced its 13th coronavirus death, bringing the total in Washington State to 17 deaths. Clark County announced its first positive test of the coronavirus in a man in his 70s. On March 8, the Washington State Department of Health confirmed 136 cases and 18 deaths, mainly in King County. Later in the day, after the department of health report, an additional death was reported in Grant County. In the Seattle area, a staff member of the Aegis Living Marymoor assisted living facility in Redmond tested positive. The staff member has been isolated since February 28 after reporting symptoms. All Aegis Living communities are limiting non-essential visits. This is the fourth senior living facility in the Seattle area to report staff members who test positive. Kitsap County reported its first positive test, a Bainbridge Island resident in their 60s who was being kept in isolation. On March 9, the Washington State Department of Health reported 26 new cases and 3 new deaths as cases continued to appear in new counties. Life Care Center of Kirkland reported that 31 of its patients had tested positive. (City of) Snohomish schools would be closed beginning March 10 after a transportation employee was tested positive. On March 9, a COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care skilled nursing facility in King County, Washington led to 129 cases and 23 deaths. The infected were 81 out of approximately 130 residents, 34 staff members, and 14 visitors. On March 10, the Washington State Department of Health reported an additional 105 cases, a 62% increase. Two additional deaths were reported in King County, in two separate nursing homes unconnected to the Life Care Center nursing home where most deaths have been reported. This brought the state total deaths to 24 with the majority, 22, in King County. Whatcom County declared a public health emergency after it reported its first case of the virus. The female patient self-isolated at home after receiving treatment at a local Bellingham medical center. Island County reported its first positive test.
Skagit County Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Upper and ...
reported its first positive test.


=March 11–15

= On March 11, five new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 29. Thurston County reported its first confirmed case. Columbia County and Yakima County reported first cases on March 12. On March 13, Governor Inslee ordered all public and private schools closed for six weeks. On March 14, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed three cases in Spokane County residents. On March 15, the American College of Emergency Physicians announced that an emergency physician at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland was in critical condition with COVID-19. Lewis County announced their first case on March 15, with the patient being quarantined in a Cowlitz County hospital.


=March 16–20

= On March 16, two deaths occurred in Clark County, a husband and wife that lived in separate elder care facilities. Seattle resident was the first U.S. volunteer to receive a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19. Mason County reported its first case on March 17, an individual who was being quarantined at home. The first case in Franklin County was announced on March 17: a woman in her 20s with underlying health conditions. The Benton–Franklin Health District said the case was linked to foreign travel. The first two confirmed cases in Chelan County were reported, from Leavenworth and Chelan. On March 18, the death of a Richland woman in her 80s, a
retirement community A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves. Assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization op ...
resident with underlying health conditions, was announced as Benton–Franklin Health District's first COVID-19 related death. It was the second death in
Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...
, after Grant County. On March 17, several members of a choir in
Skagit County, Washington Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Upper and ...
had become ill. Following a 61-person choir practice with one symptomatic person, 53 people (87%) developed COVID-19 and two died.
Clallam County Clallam County is a List of counties in Washington, county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 77,155, with an estimated population of 77,616 in 2023. The cou ...
reported its first case, a man in his 60s being isolated at home, on March 19. The Northeast Tri-County Health District reported the first case in Stevens County on March 20, and San Juan County reported its first case the same day: an individual who was treated at the Eastsound UW Medicine clinic. The Washington Distillers Guild announced it was converting from producing drinkable liquor to
hand sanitizer Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel, or foam used to kill viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms on the hands. It can also come in the form of a cream, spray, or wipe. W ...
, joining many other distilleries in the United States doing so after regulations were waived by the U.S. Department of Treasury's
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alc ...
.


=March 21–31

= Walla Walla County and Adams County reported their first cases March 21, and Whitman County reported its first case March 22. Douglas County reported its first case March 23. Okanogan County and Ferry County reported their first COVID-19 cases on March 24 and 25. Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
issued a statewide
stay-at-home order A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order – also referred to by loose use of the terms quarantine, isolation, or lockdown – is an order from a government authority that restricts movements of a population as a mass qu ...
on March 23, 2020, to last at least two weeks. Radio station KUOW announced that starting March 25, it would no longer broadcast President Trump's briefings on the coronavirus "due to a pattern of false or misleading information provided that cannot be fact checked in real time". Skamania County reported its first case on March 26. On March 28, medics from the U.S. Army converted CenturyLink Field, known for being the home stadium of the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, into a medical hospital. It was never used and soon dismantled.


April

The Northeast Tri County Health District reported the first positive COVID-19 test in Pend Oreille County on April 2. Wahkiakum County reported its first positive test on April 3. An outbreak at the Monroe Correctional Complex, the state's second largest prison, began in late March and grew to eleven confirmed cases —five staff and six inmates in the same minimum security unit. Over 100 prisoners at the complex rioted on April 8 in response to the outbreak. The following day, Governor Inslee announced plans to release nonviolent offenders and at-risk inmates to lower the risk of infection. At least two of the released prisoners were soon re-arrested. On April 10, the state Department of Health tallied one COVID case to Pacific County, but the Pacific County Emergency Operations Center said that the individual hasn't lived in the county for more than a month, tested positive in another state, and could not infect anyone in the county.


May

On May 5, the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health announced that they had received reports of "COVID-19 parties" that aimed to have infected people spread the disease for
herd immunity Herd immunity (also called herd effect, community immunity, population immunity, or mass immunity) is a form of indirect protection that applies only to contagious diseases. It occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population has become i ...
. The report was later retracted after being spread among national and international news outlets. Effective May 18, King County started requiring face coverings, to help reduce virus spread, at indoor public spaces, and outdoor where minimum distancing not possible. On May 22, two patients under the age of 20 were confirmed as having paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a rare and potentially fatal condition related to COVID-19.


June

June 4: Data released on COVID-19 cases in Washington shows that individuals of Hispanic descent are disproportionally affected by COVID-19. In Washington, individuals of Hispanic descent represent only 13% of the population but make up 40% of total COVID-19 cases. The state required public-facing workers to wear masks, starting June 8. Effective June 26, Washington state health department requires masks in all public indoor spaces, and outdoors when closer than 6 feet apart, with certain exceptions for age, ability, or when access to mouth needed.


July

Effective July 7, statewide mask order strengthened; businesses require customers to wear face coverings. On July 26, Yakima County surpassed 10,000 cases of the virus.


October

The state Department of Health announced an "interim" COVID vaccine distribution plan on October 21.


November

On November 7, 2020, a wedding attended by more than 300 people near Ritzville resulted in about 40 infections and two subsequent coronavirus outbreaks. On Sunday November 15, 2020, Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
imposed new restrictions due to rising COVID-19 cases. The restrictions include: *Prohibiting indoor gatherings with people outside of the household unless they complete a 14-day quarantine or quarantine for 7 days and test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of the gathering. *Outdoor gatherings are limited to 5 people outside the household. *Indoor dining at restaurants is prohibited and outdoor dining is limited to 5 people at each table. Other restrictions also apply. *Gyms and fitness facilities must close entirely for indoor activities and only some outdoor activities are permitted subject to restrictions. *Bowling centers must close for indoor service. *Movie theaters are closed for indoor service. Drive-in movie theaters are permitted with restrictions. *Funerals and wedding ceremonies are limited to a total of no more than 30 people. Indoor receptions, wakes, or similar gatherings in conjunction with such ceremonies are prohibited. * In-store retail is limited to 25% of indoor occupancy limits and seating areas and indoor dining facilities such as food courts are closed. * Religious services are limited to 25% of indoor occupancy limits, or no more than 200 people, whichever is less. Attendees must wear facial coverings at all times and congregation singing is prohibited. No choir, band, or ensemble shall perform during the service. Vocal or instrumental soloists are permitted to perform, and vocal soloists may have a single accompanist. Outdoors services can be held with restrictions. *Professional services are required to mandate remote work when possible and close offices to the public if possible. Any office that must remain open must limit occupancy to 25% of indoor occupancy limits. *At long-term care facilities outdoor visits are permitted. Indoor visits are prohibited, but individual exceptions for an essential support person or end-of-life care are permitted. On November 30, the state Department of Health announced the launch of WA Notify, Washington state's official participation in the anonymous, smartphone-based Exposure Notification system developed by Apple and Google.


Government response

On February 29, Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
declared a state of emergency after the first US death attributable to COVID-19 occurred in a man in his 50s with an underlying chronic health condition who had been admitted to
EvergreenHealth EvergreenHealth is an American regional healthcare system based in the Seattle metropolitan area of Washington state. It has two general hospitals in Kirkland and Monroe, and several smaller clinics and urgent care facilities in King and Snoh ...
Medical Center after complaining of severe breathing problems. In a statement, Inslee said, "It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to their family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus." A second man in his 70s died at the same hospital a day later, the second US death attributable to COVID-19. By March 2, the death toll in the Seattle area had risen to six, nine by March 3 11 by March 5, and 18 by March 8. Researchers at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, formerly known as the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and also known as Fred Hutch or The Hutch, is a cancer research institute established in 1975 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. History ...
and the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
analyzed the genomes of the first reported case in
Snohomish County Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most popul ...
from January 20 and a more recent case on February 28, and determined that the virus strain was related. Their findings indicate that the virus may have been spreading through the community for close to six weeks. A drive-through testing facility was opened by the University of Washington Medical Center in North Seattle, which as of March 10 is only open to students and employees. Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan declared a civil emergency on March 3. On March 3, Public Health – Seattle & King County began establishing the White Center COVID-19 quarantine site. On March 5, United States Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
visited the state governor at Washington State Emergency Operations Center on Camp Murray, north of the state capital Olympia, to discuss the crisis. On March 5, the number of confirmed cases jumped from 39 the previous day to 70, of which 51 were in King County and 18 in Snohomish County. On March 5, Inslee announced that the state would cover the costs of testing for Washington residents without health insurance. At a news briefing with Inslee, Vice President Pence said that
Air Force Two Air Force Two is the air traffic control designated call sign held by any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the vice president of the United States, but not the president. The term is often associated with the Boeing C-32, a modified ...
delivered 100,000 air-filtering N95 respirators, 100,000 surgical masks and 2,500 face shields to Washington. The same day, Washington's insurance commissioner, Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order to state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and
deductible In an insurance policy, the deductible (in British English, the excess) is the amount paid Out-of-pocket expenses, out of pocket by the policy holder before an insurance provider will pay any expenses. In general usage, the term ''deductible'' m ...
s for any consumer requiring coronavirus testing, effective until May 4. On March 9, Governor Inslee announced new rules—including mandatory screening for visitors and staff—for nursing homes to slow the spread of the virus. The state was also considering mandatory measures of
social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
to prevent spread. The governor's office announced that workers who have reduced hours or temporary unemployment due to the outbreak are eligible for
unemployment benefits Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...
. On March 11, Governor Inslee invoked emergency powers and banned "social, spiritual, and recreational gatherings" of over 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties (including the core of the
Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding Satellite city, satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–T ...
) for at least the month of March. The order included provisions for its enforcement by the Washington Military Department. On March 12, Governor Inslee announced closures for all public and private K-12 schools in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties beginning from March 17 through at least April 24. Later, on March 13, Inslee announced K-12 closures until at least April 24 throughout the state. Local transit agencies in the Seattle area, including
King County Metro King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle. It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in t ...
and
Sound Transit Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It manages the Link light rail system in Se ...
, announced more frequent deep cleanings of their vehicles and facilities. Within the first week of widespread work-from-home policies from local employers, Sound Transit ridership dropped 25 percent and Metro reported a 13 percent decrease compared to March 2019. Metro and Sound Transit also announced the temporary suspension of fare enforcement on buses and trains to reduce person-to-person contact. On March 15, Governor Inslee announced the closing of all sit-down restaurants statewide, noting that "very strong measures are necessary to slow the spread of the disease". Restaurants are still allowed to offer takeout and drive through options. Inslee also announced that he would issue an emergency proclamation ordering all entertainment and recreation facilities to temporarily close. The same order banned gatherings of groups of 50 or more statewide. On March 16, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced $5 million in grocery vouchers for families impacted by COVID-19. The city created the program to provide 6,250 families $800 each with vouchers for Safeway stores in Washington state. Also, the Seattle Police Department announced the suspension of all police front counter services and that public access to precinct and headquarters police facilities would be curtailed. A correctional officer at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16. He was last at work on March 8. On March 17, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a moratorium on residential evictions. Mayor Durkan used her emergency powers to prohibit evictions on the basis of rent delinquency for 30 days or due to expiring leases. The City Council expanded this to cover all evictions except when the health or safety of others is imminently threatened by tenant actions. The moratorium also prohibits late fees for tenants struggling to make rent payments. Starting on March 17, King County correctional facilities stopped accepting people arrested for violating their state Department of Corrections community supervision; and is planning to transfer anyone in a King County correctional facility under such a warrant back to state custody. As of March 20, there were 180 such people in King County correctional facilities who may get transferred out. On March 18, the King County government began preparing the first of several
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile ...
s on a soccer field in
Shoreline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
that is anticipated to have 200 beds for coronavirus patients. The neighboring
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
province of
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
ordered curtailment of meetings over 50 people on March 16 as part of its response to the pandemic. On March 21, the City of Everett ordered residents and business owners to stay at home "until further notice", except for some essential workers. On March 22, President Donald Trump said the federal government would pay the costs of activation of the Washington National Guard while under control of the state governor. On March 22, 2020, retired Navy admiral Raquel C. Bono was named by Washington State Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
to lead the state's health system response to the pandemic. President Donald Trump also announced approval of Washington emergency declaration, and have instructed Federal assistance to be given to assist the local recovery efforts in fighting the coronavirus. Governor Inslee announced a statewide stay-at-home order on March 23, to last at least two weeks. On March 24, 2020, King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an Executive Order suspending the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention's Work Education Release program. Additionally, King County correctional facilities will no longer accept people due to misdemeanor charges, except for assaults, violations of no contact or protection orders, DUIs, sex crimes or other charges which present a serious public safety concern. On March 24, the city of Ocean Shores closed roads leading to Pacific Ocean beaches and declared a city-wide midnight
curfew A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...
. The Washington State Parks system was closed on March 25, and access to
Department of Natural Resources This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies that are responsible for state-level regulating, monitoring, managing, and protecting environmental and public health concerns. The exact duties of ...
land closed on March 26. Most roads into
Olympic National Park Olympic National Park is a national park of the United States located in Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier e ...
were also closed, as well as all facilities. Roads in
Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in southeast Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County and northeast Lewis County, Washington, Lewis County in Washington (sta ...
were closed March 24, although "dispersed recreation" in the backcountry was allowed. On March 27, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the
United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
and
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
agreed to deploy a military field hospital at CenturyLink Field. The field hospital was expected to create at least 150 hospital beds for non-COVID-19 patients; and was to be staffed by 300 soldiers from the 627th Hospital Center from
Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...
, Colorado. On March 28, the
Port of Seattle The Port of Seattle is a public agency that is in King County, Washington. It oversees the seaport of Seattle as well as Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. With a portfolio of properties ranging from parks and waterfront real estate, to ...
and the Northwest Seaport Alliance made plans to make sections of Terminal 46 available for trailers, container equipment and storage needs in support of the 10th Field Hospital being set up at CenturyLink Field. The Governor called up the Washington National Guard on March 31. Until then, "only a few" activated Guardsmen had been deployed to the State Emergency Operations Center. On April 2, Governor Inslee announced that the stay at home order would be extended through at least May 4. On April 5, Governor Inslee announced that Washington state would return 400 of the ventilators it received from the
Strategic National Stockpile The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), originally called the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile (NPS), is the United States' national repository of antibiotics, vaccines, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, and other critical medical supplies. Its ...
, so as to help harder hit states. On April 6, 2020, Inslee announced that the school closure would encompass the rest of the school year statewide. On April 13, Governor Inslee, together with California governor
Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom ( ; born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served from 2011 to 201 ...
and Oregon governor
Kate Brown Katherine Brown (born June 21, 1960) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 38th governor of Oregon from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms as the state representative from the 13th distr ...
, announced the Western States Pact, an agreement to coordinate among the three states to restart economic activity while controlling the outbreak. The Washington State Patrol asked drivers not to ignore speed limits on empty highways, two citing drivers on
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
south of Olympia clocked at 122 mph and 133 mph. The Washington State Emergency Operations Center's Joint Information Center published a "risk assessment dashboard" that included inputs from epidemiological models from the
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is a public health research institute of the University of Washington in Seattle. Its research fields are global health statistics and impact evaluation. IHME is headed by Christopher J.L. ...
at University of Washington, the Institute for Disease Modeling in Bellevue, and the Youyang Gu COVID model. Wearing face coverings in public spaces to help reduce transmission was recommended since early in the pandemic. In mid-May, King county started requiring face masks in public. The state required public-facing employees to wear masks, starting June 8. The state requirement was extended to everyone in public places in late June.


Economic and social effects

Several national media outlets reported that fewer Seattle residents were observed outside in public places in early March. Local businesses, especially in tourist areas, reported fewer customers and sales. On March 10, Seattle-based
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest airline in North America when measured by scheduled passengers carried, as of 2024. Alaska, togethe ...
announced the company was preparing to cut its flight schedule and freeze hiring due to the sharp drop in airline bookings because of the pandemic. On March 12, the city of Seattle announced that the public library system,
community center A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...
s, and other recreation facilities would be closed until at least April 13. Other libraries in the state followed suit, including Sno-Isle Libraries, the
King County Library System The King County Library System (KCLS) is a public library system serving most residents of King County, Washington, United States. It has 49 locations in the areas of the county around Seattle, which has a separate Seattle Public Library, city l ...
, the
Pierce County Library System The Pierce County Library System (PCLS) is a library system serving the residents of Pierce County, Washington. The Pierce County Library System has 20 library locations serving 580,000 people in unincorporated Pierce County and 15 cities and ...
, and the NCW Libraries. Westfield closed all its malls – including Westfield Southcenter, the largest shopping mall in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest – on March 19. Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square had closed the day before.
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
announced on March 23–24 that all manufacturing facilities in the Puget Sound area and the Grant County International Airport
737 Max The Boeing 737 MAX is a series of narrow-body aircraft developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation and incorporates more efficient CFM International LEAP engi ...
storage and testing facility in Moses Lake would be closed for two weeks, starting March 25. Retail closures not subject to the March 23 stay-at-home edict included retail pharmaceutical providers and retail cannabis and alcohol providers, considered an essential need by the order. Breweries were also considered essential and some offered curbside pickup. A lawsuit was brought May 5 by some members of the Washington State Legislature and private citizens against Governor Inslee in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington for violating RCW 43.06.010 emergency powers and abrogating citizens' rights to freely practice religion under the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Federal government of the United States, Congress from making laws respecting an Establishment Clause, establishment of religion; prohibiting the Free Exercise Cla ...
. The lawsuit contended that invocation of emergency powers to prevent "public disorder" was unnecessary because there was no clear danger of lack of access to care due to hospital overuse or other shortages, that church closure orders were not commensurate with those of commercial facilities, and specifically noted that there had been zero serious cases in Washington persons under 20 years old; and that the 1,000 COVID-19 related deaths in Washington was numerically comparable to flu and pneumonia deaths in other years, for example 1,037 in 2017. A separate suit was brought in state courts May 22 by public officials and citizens in Chelan and Douglas Counties making some of the same claims. A third lawsuit petitioned the Washington State Supreme Court for a
writ of mandamus A writ of (; ) is a judicial remedy in the English and American common law system consisting of a court order that commands a government official or entity to perform an act it is legally required to perform as part of its official duties, o ...
on the same grounds. More than 50 people held a rally on the federal courthouse steps in Tacoma in support of another civil rights lawsuit on May 1.


School closures

On March 4, Northshore School District became the first school district in the state to announce an extended district-wide closure due to the pandemic, shifting to remote online learning. The closure was initially scheduled to last up to 14 days. The two largest state universities,
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
(UW) and
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
(WSU) curtailed on-campus classes during the pandemic. UW announced its closure on March 6; and on March 11, WSU announced the closure would begin after its spring break, on March 23. On March 11, school districts in the Greater Seattle area, including
Seattle Public Schools Seattle Public Schools is the largest Public school (government funded), public school district in the state of Washington (state), Washington. The school district serves almost all of Seattle. Additionally it includes sections of Boulevard Par ...
,
Lake Washington School District The Lake Washington School District #414 or LWSD is a public education, public school district in King County, Washington, in suburbs east of Seattle. Its headquarters is in Redmond, Washington, Redmond. it is the second-largest school distric ...
, and Bellevue School District, announced their closures shortly after Governor
Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...
's social distancing proclamation in the morning. Many school districts in Snohomish County also announced closures that would start in the next few days, including Snohomish School District, Monroe School District, Marysville School District, Everett School District and Edmonds School District. On March 12, the governor invoked his emergency power and mandated the closure of all private and public schools in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, from March 16 through April 24 or later; the next day, he expanded the closure to all K-12 schools statewide. All Thurston County schools, and Shelton School District (the largest district in Mason County) announced their closures beginning March 16, through at least April 24. On April 6, it was announced that all Washington State K-12 schools would be closed through the end of the school year. In July,
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
announced that the fall 2020 semester would offer full remote classes.


Sports

Many scheduled public events went on as planned, including a
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
fixture between the
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
and
Columbus Crew SC The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. ...
at CenturyLink Field on March 7. It was played in front of a crowd of 33,080, making it the smallest crowd to ever attend a regular season MLS match in Sounders history. Pundits attributed the lower attendance to the coronavirus as immunocompromised fans and others who did not want to attend the match due to the outbreak were offered full refunds.
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
noted the effect the governor's ban on gatherings in Puget Sound area would have on sports, especially if it should be expanded to Eastern Washington; the first round of the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was scheduled to be held in Spokane in March. NCAA basketball was subsequently cancelled altogether. On March 12,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
cancelled the remainder of
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
, and on March 16, they announced that the season will be postponed indefinitely, after the recommendations from the
CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...
to restrict events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks, affecting the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
.


Arts and media

Seattle Artists Relief Fund was established to help artists, especially in the performing arts, cope with the loss of patrons due to the pandemic-related shutdowns. Included in the closures were the
Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is an American ballet company based in Seattle, Washington. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dancers and hosts ...
and the Seattle Symphony. Most of the state's newspapers removed
paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content (media), content, with a purchase or a subscription business model, paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their website ...
s for COVID-19 information, including ''The Seattle Times'', the ''Tacoma News Tribune'', ''Bellingham Herald'', ''Peninsula Daily News'', ''The Olympian'', ''Tri City Herald'', ''Wenatchee World'', ''The Columbian'', ''The Spokesman-Review'', and the ''Yakima Herald-Republic''. ''The Seattle Times'' was praised for its early coverage of the outbreak, including public service announcements and question-and-answer sessions with readers. '' The Stranger'', an alt-weekly newspaper in Seattle, announced a temporary layoff of 18 employees to offset ad revenue losses due to the closure of restaurants and entertainment venues. On March 24, a public radio station in the state,
KUOW-FM KUOW-FM (94.9 MHz) is a National Public Radio member station in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest of the three full-fledged NPR member stations in the Seattle and Tacoma media market, with two Tacoma-based stations, KNKX and KVTI being t ...
, announced it would no longer broadcast the White House press briefings on the coronavirus "due to a pattern of false or misleading information provided that cannot be fact checked in real time." Nevertheless, KUOW stated that it will continue to provide relevant information and news regarding the pandemic from the press briefings.


Tourism and entertainment

The economic loss to the region due to canceled cruise ship visitors to Seattle was unknown as of mid March, with the
Port of Seattle The Port of Seattle is a public agency that is in King County, Washington. It oversees the seaport of Seattle as well as Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. With a portfolio of properties ranging from parks and waterfront real estate, to ...
"exploring options." The industry brings in nearly one billion dollars annually to the Puget Sound area, with the Alaska cruise season considered to start April 1. On March 11, 2020, the Port of Seattle announced the cancellations of April 1 and 5 planned cruise ship sailings. On March 13, 2020, the Government of Canada deferred the start of their cruise ship season to July 1, 2020. As noted by the Port of Seattle, "United States maritime laws require foreign flagged vessels, which include many cruise ships, to stop at a foreign port on a U.S. port to U.S. port itinerary. This is why most Seattle to Alaska cruise itineraries visit Victoria, and changes in Canada can impact Seattle-based cruises." On March 14, 2020, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...
issued a 30-day no sail order impacting all cruise ships subject to U.S. jurisdiction. The landmark
Space Needle The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a List of Seattle landmarks, Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne, Seattle, Lower Queen An ...
closed on March 13 through March 31. Many of the vendors at
Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is a Marketplaces#Types, public market in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States. Overlooking the Elliott B ...
—those who sell nonessential items—closed on March 23 following the statewide stay-at-home order, but some food vendors remained open as of March 31. Several major conventions, including the
Emerald City Comic Con The Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), formerly the Emerald City Comicon, is an annual comic book convention taking place in Seattle, Washington. Originally taking place at the city's Qwest Field (first at West Field Plaza, then at the Event Center) ...
at the
Washington State Convention Center The Seattle Convention Center (SCC), formerly the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC), is a convention center in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It consists of two buildings in Downtown Seattle with exhibition hall ...
in Seattle, were cancelled or postponed in response to the coronavirus crisis. Many Western Washington tribal casinos announced their closures on March 16, although not subject to the state government proclamations. Closures were at the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Snoqualmie, Suquamish and Tulalip casinos in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.


Travel and transportation

Several
public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...
agencies in Western Washington announced cuts to service and free fares to avoid contact between passengers and drivers.
King County Metro King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle. It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in t ...
, the largest operator serving Seattle, will reduce service and suspend the South Lake Union Streetcar. Large agencies in the Puget Sound region are also anticipating a decline in revenue from
sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
es, which would cause delays or changes to major projects. Sound Transit announced in early April that it would suspend construction on most of its light rail expansion projects due to high absenteeism among workers and difficulty meeting social distancing guidelines at worksites. On March 24, 2020, the Port of Seattle stated that a
Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
security officer working at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport had tested positive for COVID-19. The officer had last worked on March 21 at Checkpoint 5 which would be closed for cleaning. Nearly all
Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...
routes had significant service reductions due to lack of ridership, and those taking a car on the ferry were encouraged to stay in their vehicle. Service to Southern
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
was canceled. The closure of the Canadian border isolated Point Roberts, an
pene-exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
of Washington connected by land to British Columbia. A temporary ferry service was established in August 2020 to link Point Roberts to Bellingham.


Restarting the economy

The cities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, and Renton launched (re)STARTUP425 as an initiative to restart the Eastside economy after the COVID-19 shutdown. Models of infectious disease from Institute for Disease Modeling,
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is a public health research institute of the University of Washington in Seattle. Its research fields are global health statistics and impact evaluation. IHME is headed by Christopher J.L. ...
, and others guided Washington State government decision-making concerning how and when to lift emergency restrictions.


Reactions to November 15 restrictions issued by Governor Jay Inslee

Hospitality industry leaders have voiced their concerns over the new restrictions. Prior to the restrictions being enacted the Washington State Hospitality Association estimated that hospitality sales was down 45%. Reacting to the new restriction, WSHA President Anthony Anton stated "This is devastating news, this leads to 100,000 workers out of work right before the holidays. This will lead to more permanent closures and end more dreams. What makes it frustrating is we believe we could have worked together to make good decisions." Restaurant owners have been pushing back on the claims made by Jay Inslee that data supports the decision to close indoor dining. The CEO of Fire and Vine Hospitality, which owns a group of restaurants in the Seattle area, Chad Mackay, says the data doesn't support such strict measures on restaurants, and that the government has not been consistent in the use and application of that data. He stated on a local talk radio station, "...The contact tracing that was done showed that less than half a percent of infections were contact traced back to restaurants. And that's what we've been arguing, saying why are we not looking at that data. And now they say that data is wrong. I think the great line was 'an absence of evidence doesn't mean an evidence of absence,' which means we don't know." He claims that the Governor is citing a study done by
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
about the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants and notes that the study does not argue for shutdowns, but rather capacity restrictions.


See also

* Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States *
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case was reported on January 20, and United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Human Services Secreta ...
– for impact on the country *
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
– for impact on other countries


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


Official State of Washington coronavirus information page


Washington State Department of Health {{#invoke:Portal bar, main, COVID-19, Medicine, Pacific Northwest, United States, Viruses
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
Disasters in Washington (state) Health in Washington (state) 2020 in Washington (state) 2021 in Washington (state)