CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 3/11 toplines – crowd bans, business guidance, closing schools, newest numbers, more…

| Coronavirus | Health | West Seattle news

This was the biggest news day in the 12 days since our area’s first COVID-19 case was announced. Here are today’s many (mostly) local toplines:

CROWD BANS & BUSINESS GUIDANCE: The day began with Governor Inslee announcing that in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties – whose executives and biggest-city mayors joined him for the occasion – he’s banning gatherings of 250+ people. Here’s our coverage, including video. As for smaller gatherings – King County is banning those too, unless new rules are followed. Plus, SKC Public Health has new guidance so that retail businesses can keep operating (read about that here).

P.S> – DON’T CALL 911 … to report big crowds, the King County Sheriff’s Office says.

SCHOOLS CLOSING: The biggest announcement today came at noontime from Seattle Public Schools – closing as of tomorrow, for at least two weeks. Most independent/parochial schools have followed, and at least one other nearby public district (Vashon Island, starting Friday). We have launched a school-closure list to track them all, and will continue adding to it.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From this afternoon’s daily Seattle-King County Public Health news release:

Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/10/20

234 confirmed cases (up 44 from yesterday)
26 confirmed deaths (up 4 from yesterday)

The four deaths being reported today were all among previously reported cases. These additional deaths include:

A woman in her 90s, Life Care Center resident, died on 3/3.
A man in his 90s, Life Care Center resident, hospitalized at EvergreenHealth, died on 3/5.
A woman in her 60s, Life Care Center resident, hospitalized at EvergreenHealth, died on 3/9.
A woman in her 90s, a resident of Redmond Care and Rehab, hospitalized at EvergreenHealth, died on 3/10.

Of the 26 deaths reported, 22 are associated with Life Care Center.

FOR STATEWIDE NUMBERS … go here – including not just cases and deaths by county, but also total number of tests, positive and negative.

FOR A WORLDWIDE LOOK … go here.

CHURCH CHANGES: Not only did the Archdiocese of Seattle order Catholic schools to close, the Archbishop has also suspended public Masses.

YOUTH SPORTS: The West Seattle Little League has canceled “all games, practices, clinics, and events.” School sports were already being affected – CYO sports already had been called off for this weekend, and the SPS middle-school basketball playoffs too.

AS FOR PRO SPORTS … the crowd restrictions are affecting the start of the Mariners season – here’s what the team said today. Meantime, Sounders FC has postponed its March 21st home match.

CRUISE SEASON DELAYED: Last Sunday, we reported that the first cruise ship due in Seattle this season, on April 1st, was the coronavirus-beset Grand Princess. Today the Port of Seattle announced that sailing and the second one of the season are canceled.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? We hope to publish many more answers to this question in the days ahead. Tonight, the West Seattle Food Bank says what it needs most is money.

WHAT’S CANCELED, POSTPONED, CHANGED LOCALLY: We’re continuing to update our West Seattle list – see it here. If your organization, business, church, school, group, etc. has cancellations, postponements, changes, PLEASE let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302.

WSB CONTINUING COVERAGE: All the stories published on WSB related to the COVID-19 situation are categorized so that you can find them anytime at westseattleblog.com/category/coronavirus. We’re also using Twitter (@westseattleblog) for instant bursts. Any local info you’re NOT finding, please let us know so we can try to serve you better.

wseakell March 11, 2020 (9:57 pm)

Is anything being done with the crowds in stores/malls? On any given day many can have 250+ people in close quarters. I’d hate to think of any closing or going under restrictions, but if we are truly implementing a system of social distancing I don’t know how crowded stores (thinking recent trips to Costco) would help this cause.

WSB March 11, 2020 (10:31 pm)

See the “business guidance” link above.
Zac March 11, 2020 (11:09 pm)

Makes me wonder about places like the casinos also.
- just wondering March 12, 2020 (7:45 am)
  
  It’s not like the second hand smoke at the casino is a problem!
Mickymse March 12, 2020 (3:07 pm)

In Italy, stores and cafes have actually limited capacity and started lines outside.

Anon March 12, 2020 (3:16 am)

Now that you are locked in, wash a sheet, cut it up and make a mask. Research is clear, now in the US… not just Singapore and China. Everyone needs to be masked in public to stop this. Our officials have been lying because there is a shortage of comercial masks, but they are easy to make at home and nearly free. Read this study. And go see a mask to catch your coughs ASAP. This takes all of us.https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217v1.full.pdf

Lauren March 12, 2020 (7:56 am)

Maybe I’m missing it on one of the other links, but I’m wondering what impact this will have on the farmers markets.

WSB March 12, 2020 (7:56 am)

Open.
Jethro Marx March 12, 2020 (8:54 am)

I don’t really understand why farmers’ markets would be treated any differently than a grocery store. The fact that they’re outside probably makes them less apt to spread such viruses, right?

Lola March 12, 2020 (8:41 am)

I wondered if the Casino’s even had to do the ban since they are on tribal land? Does anybody know? Or might they just do it so as not to spread the virus? I saw West Seattle Had their Farmers Market Last Sunday 3/8/20. Don’t know if they will continue?Thank you West Seattle Blog for all of the updates that you give. Do not know what we would do without you.

anonyme March 12, 2020 (9:51 am)

It’s being reported that 10 nursing homes in our state have active cases. Clearly, there is a common agent that needs to be identified asap. I was receiving post-op home PT visits but canceled them as of last week. I know that nursing home residents receive a lot of visits from outside providers, who haul around equipment in every type of environment (including wheeled luggage and backpacks) that cannot be sanitized between visits. I hate to say it, but I’ve personally witnessed health care professionals neglecting hygiene protocols on multiple occasions lately and there really needs to be a crackdown – Swedish main hospital and the West Seattle clinic specifically.

Perplexed March 12, 2020 (9:55 am)

Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
Most peculiar Mama
-Julian Lennon

momosmom March 12, 2020 (10:25 am)

Since we’re quoting…
It’s sad, so sad (so sad)
It’s a sad, sad situation
And it’s getting more and more absurd
It’s sad, so sad (so sad)
- jason March 12, 2020 (11:04 am)
  
  “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper”. – T.S. Eliot

HelperMonkey March 12, 2020 (10:07 am)

Arts West has said they’re still open for upcoming performances of St. Joan. Max capacity is 149 when sold out. https://www.artswest.org/health-update/

WSB March 12, 2020 (10:17 am)

That was in our “happening/not happening” list Wed. and will be again today – thank you!

SomeDude March 12, 2020 (11:14 am)

If you live in an apartment building, the management probably isn’t disinfecting on a daily basis. You can wipe down the door handles and other surfaces once in a while to try and keep it from spreading through your building.

M March 12, 2020 (1:26 pm)

I know that a lot of small businesses/restaurants have been hit hard by the social distancing mandate, is there a list of local places that need support? Looking to be intentional about getting takeout every once and awhile while working remotely.

WSB March 12, 2020 (2:02 pm)

ALL of them.

rpo March 12, 2020 (1:49 pm)

Schools were ordered closed through April 24th by the governor today.

WSB March 12, 2020 (2:02 pm)

He’s making an announcement now. I will be publishing a separate update shortly. Thank you.
Zark00 March 12, 2020 (2:24 pm)

It’s now April 27th.