Seattle (March 23, 2020) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the follow statement on the Governor’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order outlining additional measures to further encourage social distancing:
“Our city, region and state have taken significant and early actions over the last 24 days, but we know we need to take even more actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in a significant way, protect our health care system and keep more individuals healthy. Every resident needs to do their part: stay home and limit their interactions. I know the measures are tough, and greatly affect the day-to-day lives of so many, but they will save lives. I know this will be particularly hard on small business and workers. Over the last few weeks, we have prioritized initiatives that will help small business, workers and our most vulnerable neighbors during this challenging time. We will build on these measures and continue to advocate for the real economic resources at the federal level that our region needs to get through this.”
The Governor’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order bans all gatherings, closes all non-essential businesses unless employees can work from home, and requires all Washingtonians to stay home unless they are engaging in an essential activity. The ban on gatherings is effective immediately and the closure of non-essential businesses will take place 48 hours after the order is signed. Business not affected by the order include grocery stores, pharmacies, and food banks, among others. For a full list, you can go here and to clarify status, or to petition to be added to this list, please visit the Washington State Business Re-Entry Registration website at: https://mil.wa.gov/business-re-entry-registration.
The announcement builds on early actions to limit public gatherings and closure of all public schools. Last week, Mayor Durkan joined the Governor as he announced the temporary limit of operations for bars and restaurants and required dance halls, clubs, theaters, health and fitness clubs, and other similar indoor social or recreational venues to cease operations.
The City of Seattle continues to operate with a majority of its workforce telecommuting, but has closed all libraries, the majority of parks programming, and cancelled all permitted events until April. Over the weekend, the City of Seattle Parks Department issued additional guidance in partnership with the King County Parks Department encouraging social distancing in parks.
Businesses and workers in the region are already feeling the burden of these preventative measures. Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have implemented the following programs to support small businesses and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Providing immediate financial relief through B&O and utility deferred payment plans;
- Implementing a temporary moratorium on commercial evictions for small businesses and non-profits;
- Investing $2.5 million in small businesses financially impacted by the pandemic;
- Launching a COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Task Force to ensure policy solutions are responsive to community needs;
- converting on-street parking spaces near restaurants to temporary loading zones to help facilitate curbside meal pickup; and
- Preparing to provide direct technical assistance to small businesses applying for federal Small Business Administration loans, as soon as the loans become available.