MAYOR,
MAYOR, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
JOB.
JOB. I
JOB. I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE IN
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, A
PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE VERY
MUCH UNITED AND ACTIVE AND
CONFIDENT IN OUR ABILITY TO
TAKE STRONG MEASURES TO SLOW
DOWN THE SPREAD OF THIS
EPIDEMIC.
EPIDEMIC.
EPIDEMIC. I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT
WASHINGTONIANS, AND THAT 7
MILLION OF US, HAVE BEEN ACTING
VERY RESPONSIBLY AS LEADERS IN
OUR OWN LIVES TO HELP TO SLOW
THIS EPIDEMIC.
THIS EPIDEMIC. PEOPLE ARE STAYING HOME FROM
WORK WHEN THEY ARE ILL, AS
RECOMMENDED.
RECOMMENDED. PEOPLE ARE WASHING THEIR HANDS.
PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR ELBOWS,
RATHER THAN THEIR HANDS, SO WE
CAN REDUCE THE SOCIAL
TRANSMISSION OF THIS DISEASE.
PEOPLE ARE CARING FOR THEIR
LOVED ONES AND ENCOURAGING
SENIOR CITIZENS AND THOSE WITH
COMPROMISED HEALTH TO REALLY
QUESTION WHETHER YOU SHOULD GO
OUT MORE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY RIGHT NOW, INTO
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. I'M VERY PLEASED THAT THE 7
MILLION PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON I
THINK OUR UNITED THEMSELVES AS
BEING LEADERS, AND ACTING
RESPONSIBLY RIGHT NOW WHAT I
WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE
FAMILIES AND OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
RESPONDERS. I'M PLEASED THAT WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO WORK SUCCESSFULLY TO
INCREASE SOME OF OUR SUPPORT
NETWORKS, TO OUR FAMILIES THAT
WILL BE IMPACTED BY SOME OF THE
DISLOCATION OF THIS.
YESTERDAY WE ANNOUNCED SOME
MOVES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AND
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION, WE ALSO
ANNOUNCED MEASURES TO PROTECT
OUR VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN THE
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND
RETIREMENT HOMES.
RETIREMENT HOMES. BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT OUR STATE
NEEDS A MORE VIGOROUS AND MORE
COMPREHENSIVE AND MORE
AGGRESSIVE POSITION, IF WE ARE
GOING TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF
THIS EPIDEMIC.
THIS EPIDEMIC. SO, TODAY I'M ANNOUNCING STEPS
TO HELP COMMUNITIES CONTAIN
COVID-19, AND WHEN I DO SO, I
HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, TALKING
TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY,
THAT THIS IS NOT JUST YOUR
ORDINARY FLU.
ORDINARY FLU. THIS IS A VIRUS, THAT THE
EXPERTS TELL US, THAT IS MORE
FATAL THEN THE FLU, POTENTIALLY,
WE HAVE ALREADY LOST 24 OF OUR
CITIZENS, AND WE MOURN THEIR
LOSS, BUT AS OF YESTERDAY, WE
HAD 268 PRESUMPTIVE CASES OF
THIS VIRUS, WITH HUNDREDS IF NOT
THOUSANDS OR MORE, WHO WE KNOW
ARE ON OUR STREETS, WHO MAY NOT
EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE THE VIRUS.
SO, STARTING TODAY, I AM
ORDERING PURSUANT TO MY
EMERGENCY POWERS, THAT CERTAIN
EVENTS IN KING, SNOHOMISH AND
PIERCE COUNTY WITH MORE THAN
250 PEOPLE ARE PROHIBITED BY
ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR.
THESE EVENTS THAT ARE
PROHIBITED OUR GATHERINGS FOR
SOCIAL, RECREATIONAL,
SOCIAL, RECREATIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND OTHER MATTERS,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
COMMUNITY, CIVIC, PUBLIC,
LEISURE, FAITH-BASED OR
SPORTING EVENTS.
SPORTING EVENTS. PARADES, CONCERTS, FESTIVALS,
CONVENTIONS, FUNDRAISERS AND
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES OF THAT
DIMENSION ARE PROHIBITED AS WE
GO FORWARD.
GO FORWARD. THE THREE COUNTIES IMPACTED
HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY
ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT
COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION,
COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAKS AND THEIR
ARE LARGE POPULATION CENTERS.
THIS PROHIBITION COULD BE
EXPANDED IN THE DAYS TO COME,
DEPENDING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE VIRUS.
THE VIRUS. THESE COUNTIES COULD BE REMOVED
AT A FUTURE ORDER AS WELL.
NOW, IN APPROACHING TO THIS
ISSUE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO KNOW THIS, THIS IS AN
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS EVENT THAT
WE ARE FACING.
BUT WE ARE NOT HELPLESS. WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEIZE OUR
OWN DESTINY AND THE SAFETY OF
OUR LOVED ONES, BY ACTING AND
DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY AND
EFFECTIVE BY REDUCING THE RATE
OF THE SPREAD OF THIS EPIDEMIC.
THERE IS NO MAGIC SILVER BULLET
AT THE MOMENT, MEDICALLY, BUT
THERE IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL
EFFORT THAT WE CAN TAKE, TO
SLOW THE SPREAD OF THIS
DISEASE, THAT IS TO REDUCE THE
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS THAT ARE
NOT NECESSARY IN OUR LIVES.
THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE TACTIC,
THIS IS AT HAND, ALL IT
REQUIRES IS THE WILL OF ACTIVE
PEOPLE TO FOLLOW SCIENCE AND
CONFIDENCE THAT WE ARE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER.
THIS TOGETHER. THAT'S WHY WE ARE TAKING THESE
STEPS.
STEPS.
STEPS. I
STEPS. I SPOKE WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT
ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THIS
MORNING, WE'VE BEEN IN
COMMUNICATION WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ON MULTIPLE LEVELS,
THEY ARE GOING TO BE ISSUING
SOME GUIDANCE SHORTLY THAT IS
VERY MUCH CONSISTENT WITH OUR
THINKING HERE IN THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON I HAD A FEW
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE VICE
PRESIDENT, HE'S BEEN VERY OPEN
TO OUR SUGGESTIONS OVER TIME
AND WE WANT TO THANK THE
AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT THAT ARE ASSISTING
US IN GETTING ACCESS TO
PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
AND A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS
THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
FREEING FROM THEIR STOCKPILES.
THESE ARE NOT EASY DECISIONS,
THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE
MAKING TODAY AND THE DECISIONS
THAT WE PROBABLY WILL BE MAKING
IN THE UPCOMING DAYS, ARE GOING
TO BE PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING TO
A LOT OF THE WAYS WE LIVE OUR
LIVES TODAY.
LIVES TODAY. BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE
RIGHT ONES.
RIGHT ONES. THEY ARE THE NECESSARY ONES.
THERE ONES BASED ON HOW WE FEEL
ABOUT OUR LOVED ONES AND OUR
LIVES, THEY ARE BASED ON SCIENCE
AND THEY ARE BASED ON THE FACT
THAT WE ARE ALL GOING TO WORK
TOGETHER TO AMELIORATE THE
CONSEQUENCES FOR FAMILIES AND
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. SO, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IN
REACHING THIS DECISION IT'S
BEEN A WEIGHTY ONE, I'VE TALKED
WITH OUR LOCAL AND STATE AND
NATIONAL LEADERS.
NATIONAL LEADERS. I FIND A REMARKABLE ALLIANCE IN
THINKING THAT WE SHARE AND I'M
VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE UNITY THAT
WE HAVE ON THIS ISSUE.
WE'VE ALSO CONSULTED THE WORLD
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE IN
WASHINGTON TO HAVE SOME OF THE
BEST GENETICISTS, AND
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND PHYSICIANS
IN THE WORLD TODAY.
AND THEY HAVE HELPED US BUT
WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT THE
EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COMMUNITIES
TO HELP US MAKE THIS DECISION.
WE ARE STARTING WITH THIS
PROHIBITION THROUGH MARCH, FOR
THESE THREE COUNTIES, IT IS
VERY HIGHLY LIKELY THAT WILL BE
EXTENDED PAST MARCH, THAT CAN
BE DECIDED AT THAT TIME.
I WANT TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS
ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN
DO. I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE
ARE ALL LEADERS HERE, AND THE
KIND OF THINGS I'M GOING TO
TALK ABOUT HERE ARE THINGS WE
CAN ALL DO TO PITCH IN.
FIRST, WE CAN REALLY REMIND
HIGH RISK POPULATIONS, THAT
THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE GOING
OUT INTO PUBLIC AND CLOSE
CONTACT.
CONTACT.
CONTACT. IT'S JUST TOO DANGEROUS.
AND WE NEED TO HELP OUR LOVED
ONES THINK THROUGH THAT, I
ACTUALLY SENT AN EMAIL TO MY
UNCLES WHO I ADORE ON THIS
SUBJECT, I'M ASKING EMPLOYERS
TO MAKE CHANGES TO HOW THEY DO
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. THESE
MAXIMIZING TELECOMMUTING OPTIONS FOR AS
MANY EMPLOYEES AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE DOING THIS HERE IN
WASHINGTON, I'VE BEEN VERY
IMPRESSED BY THE CREATIVE
LEADERSHIP OF THE BUSINESS
LEADERS IN WASHINGTON THAT ARE
ACCOMMODATING THESE NEEDS AND
PEOPLE ARE DOING IT BY THE
THOUSANDS OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON, WHILE KEEPING OUR
BUSINESSES RUNNING.
BUSINESSES RUNNING. WE KNOW THERE ARE MANY MANY
PEOPLE WHO CANNOT TELECOMMUTE.
BUT THOSE WHO CAN, WE ASK TO
EXPLORE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ARE ASKING BUSINESS LEADERS,
TO EMBED INTO THEIR
ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS, SOCIAL
DISTANCING. NOW, THIS MAY SEEM
A FAIRLY BENIGN THING BUT IT IS
A KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF SLOWING
THIS EPIDEMIC.
THIS EPIDEMIC. AND WE ARE ASKING BUSINESS
LEADERS TO THINK TODAY, HOW YOU
CAN REDUCE THE DISTANCE OF YOUR
CONSUMERS, YOUR CUSTOMERS AND
YOUR WORKERS, IN A WAY THAT CAN
POSSIBLY ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE.
AND WE ASK PEOPLE TO BE
CREATIVE, AND AGGRESSIVE IN
THIS REGARD.
THIS REGARD. THIS IS KEY TO OUR SUCCESS, AND
I HOPE ALL BUSINESS LEADERS IN
WASHINGTON STATE FROM
RESTAURANTS TO LARGE
MANUFACTURERS WILL THINK ABOUT
THAT REQUEST.
THAT REQUEST. WE MAY HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT
SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS IN THAT
REGARD, A LITTLE LATER.
I'M ASKING OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT
OFFICIALS TO FOLLOW KING
COUNTY'S LEAD ON ADDITIONAL
CLEANING AND SANITIZING.
I KNOW THEY ARE DOING THAT
SIGNIFICANTLY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT ALL
OF US NEED TO THINK ABOUT. WE
ARE GOING TO FIGHT THIS
EPIDEMIC AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND
THE REASON IS, WE DO NOT WANT
TO SEE AN AVALANCHE OF PEOPLE
COMING INTO OUR HOSPITALS WITH
LIMITED CAPACITY.
LIMITED CAPACITY. WE HAVE A SOLID PLAN FOR
INCREASING CAPACITY AS FAR AS
POSSIBLE, TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT
COULD BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
WHO NEED SERIOUS MEDICAL
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. BUT THAT WILL BE STRETCHED AT
BEST.
BEST.
BEST. SO
BEST. SO ALL OF US HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT WAYS TO BE CREATIVE TO
BOTH INCREASE THE CAPACITY, AND
REDUCE THE DEMANDS ON THAT
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. SO, IF, IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS
WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR YOUR
HOSPITAL, THEY DISCUSS WITH YOU
THE ADVISABILITY OF DELAYING
ELECTIVE SURGERY, PLEASE LISTEN
TO THEM IN THIS REGARD.
WE MAY NEED REAL CRITICAL CARE
FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AS WE
GO FORWARD.
GO FORWARD. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS,
PEOPLE ARE INTENSELY INTERESTED
IN THIS ISSUE.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING A DEEP
SEARCH INTO THE SCIENCE ABOUT
HOW TO REDUCE THE TRANSMISSION
RATES ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. THE GOOD NEWS, IS THAT OUR
CHILDREN ARE RELATIVELY,
RELATIVELY FREE OF SERIOUS
DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
BUT THE BEST SCIENCE TELLS US
THEY STILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY
OF TRANSMITTING THE DISEASE TO
OTHER PEOPLE THEY COME INTO
CONTACT WITH.
CONTACT WITH. AND SO, WE ARE GIVING INTENSE
THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO IN
REGARD TO OUR CHILDREN.
IN THAT REGARD I'M ASKING ALL
OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO
IMMEDIATELY BEGIN CONTINGENCY
PLANNING FOR POTENTIAL SCHOOL
CLOSURES.
CLOSURES.
CLOSURES. IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
WE ARE ASKING THEM TO DO SO,
BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY CARE ABOUT
OUR KIDS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT
THE SCHOOLS CAN HELP US ON
PROVIDING THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
FOR CHILDREN, IF IN FACT,
CLOSURES ARE REQUIRED.
AND THEY CAN HELP CONSIDER WHAT
WE CAN DO FOR CHILDCARE FOR
PARENTS, IF IN FACT, CLOSURES
OCCUR.
OCCUR.
OCCUR. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WE
THINK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WE
DON'T WANT TO HAVE NURSES HAVE
TO LEAVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT AT A
HOSPITAL IN THE MIDDLE OF AN
EPIDEMIC BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE CHILDCARE RESOLVED.
SO WE ARE ASKING OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT LEADERS, TO BEND TO
THIS TASK
OF
OF FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. I
TO DO. I WANT TO THANK WASHINGTONIANS,
AND WE HOPE THE THINGS THAT WE
ARE DOING HERE CAN GO
THROUGHOUT THE