First hit, first opened? Seattle eyes reopening economy
"It's
a marathon, not a sprint," Mayor Jenny Durkan said. "We're not even
really halfway through, even though we've hit the peak."
By Alicia Victoria Lozano
Seattle was the country's first coronavirus
hot spot, and soon it could be one of the first big cities to reopen
its economy. When and how that happens will depend largely on the
region's ability to get adequate testing and protect its front-line
health care workers, Mayor Jenny Durkan said.
"It's a marathon, not a sprint," she said. "We're not even really halfway through, even though we've hit the peak."
Just five weeks ago, COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus, devastated a nursing home
in an idyllic suburb east of Seattle. At least 37 people connected to
Life Care Center of Kirkland died from coronavirus-related illness,
according to King County public health officials.
It signaled the beginning of a national crisis that has infected more than 600,000 people and claimed over 32,000 lives, according to NBC News counts.
Washington
has recorded just a small fraction of those numbers — 11,129 confirmed
cases and 570 deaths statewide as of Thursday, according to NBC News
counts. Officials credit some of that success to early interventions,
such as social distancing measures and a statewide stay-at-home order.
"We
asked the people to do some really hard things — we closed businesses,
we asked people to stay home — and they did it," Durkan said. "As a
result, we've been able to bend that curve, and the modelers believe
we're on the downward trend."
The good news comes with hard decisions, however. Wednesday marked what would have been Tax Day, which was postponed until July
to give the country more time to cope with the coronavirus. Now, cities
and states must weigh reopening their economies while adhering to
health and safety guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the World Health Organization.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump unveiled a three-phase plan
for states to open businesses as coronavirus outbreaks subside. The
guidelines don't mention specific dates, and Trump acknowledged that it
would be "a gradual process" left to the discretion of governors.
Washington
is still hammering out details on what that could look like, said Mike
Faulk, a spokesman for Gov. Jay Inslee. He said overriding factors
continue to be the rate of spread and hospitalizations and the ability
to test on a mass scale, as well as trace and isolate cases and
exposures.
"Staff are working very hard on it," he said, adding that more details would be released in coming days.
Seattle
and neighboring communities will weigh various factors, including
closely monitoring the rate of new cases, expanding testing and
reporting capabilities and ensuring that the health care system is
prepared to handle additional infections, Durkan said.
"That
is probably the weakest link nationwide," she said. "There is not
adequate testing anywhere in the country, and there is not the ability
to do broad-based contact tracing."
Private labs say they now have capacity to test more people who aren't sick or showing symptoms of infections. Clinical labs, however, continue to experience delays and backlogs.
In Washington, labs have capacity to conduct more tests but not the
necessary materials, including swabs and vials, Faulk said.
At
Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, all patients admitted for any
reason began being screened for COVID-19 this week. The tests are
administered by the virology lab at UW Medicine, the health care system
affiliated with the University of Washington, which has the capacity to
turn around thousands of same-day tests. Previously, only patients with
symptoms or those whose medical histories were unknown were tested.
That's welcome news for lawmakers eager to reopen the economy but cautious about seeing a new spike in coronavirus cases.
The outbreak has already crippled Seattle's once-booming economy. In the second week of March, King County recorded 5,834 first-time unemployment claims, according to the state Employment Security Department. The number jumped to 44,613 the fourth week of March — almost 665 percent in just two weeks.
Recommended
Across the country, 5 million people filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, bringing the national total to almost 22 million in just one month.
"It's been devastating," Seattle contractor Todd Sekai said.
Sekai
said that in the weeks since Inslee issued a statewide stay-at-home
order, he has been forced to pause 16 projects and lay off 12 employees
because private construction wasn't deemed an essential business.
Yet
construction could be one of the first industries to resume, because
workers can more easily practice social distancing on the job, Durkan
said. Other businesses in which maintaining physical distancing is more
difficult, such as bars, restaurants and event venues, could be the last
to open.
Other West Coast cities, like Los
Angeles, have already warned residents not to expect large-scale events
until 2021. Durkan said that the same could be true for Seattle but
that she will make that determination with other regional leaders.
Still, Durkan and other local lawmakers are testing the waters to gradually reopen economies.
Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak
Earlier
this month, Durkan ordered all public projects, including bridge repair
and affordable housing construction, to close for two days to allow
contractors and staff to implement additional social distancing and
health and safety measures.
Those included
making personal protective equipment available, improving worker hygiene
and work site sanitation, and instituting decontamination measures that
could be used if necessary.
"The minute we
come together again, the virus can start spreading," Durkan warned.
"We've got to be super careful and thoughtful about how we can start to
let go of some of these restrictions."
Research
suggests that early social distancing measures in Washington played a
key role in keeping the region's infection rates down compared to those
in places like New York City, which has the nation's highest rate of
infection.
According to a report by the Institute for Disease Modeling
in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, infection rates in King County
slowed in March. The effective reproductive number was nearly 3 at the
beginning of March, meaning that each infected person was passing the
virus to about three people. By March 25, the number was down to around
1, according to models revised through last week.
"We
are cautiously optimistic that we are seeing that flattening of the
curve," said Lisa Brandenburg, president of UW Medicine hospitals and
clinics.
Keeping the number down will be
key to reopening businesses, Durkan said. She will be working with other
mayors in Washington and along the West Coast to ensure that
communities are planning ahead for potential spikes as people resume old
habits.
Durkan said she spoke with Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti this week about working in tandem throughout
the coming months. The relationship mirrors a larger effort by West
Coast governors who announced a "Western states pact" this week.
"It's clear we've got to do it as a region," Durkan said. "The virus does not respect boundaries."
Betty MacDonald Memorial Award Winner Wolfgang Hampel's very popular golden satirical book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is available in 5 continents and on Amazon U.S. Best Sellers Rank in Parody.
( see list below )
We have a golden Betty MacDonald fan club Egg for you.
Tell us your favourite satirical text of Wolfgang Hampel's book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier, please and you'll get several fascinating Betty MacDonald fan club items for free.
Wolfgang Hampel's very successful book is available in many countries around the world. ( see links below )
A wonderful Betty MacDonald fan club egg: You can win a first edition of one of Betty MacDonald's books with a dedication of Betty MacDonald. It's a golden treasure.
Don't miss this unique Betty MacDonald fan club offer, please.
Thank you so much for your interest and support.
Astrid
Betty MacDonald Memorial Award Winner Wolfgang Hampel's very popular golden satirical book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is available in 5 continents and on Amazon U.S. Best Sellers Rank in Parody.
( see list below )
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshalls SWR 3 TV Sendung HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE am Samstag, den 3. August 2019 21.50
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Marc Marshall in SWR 3 TV ' Talk am See ' - HERZSCHLAG - MOMENTE
Wolfgang Hampel's very witty book 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is No 1 Buecher de TOP List.
Wolfgang Hampel's Satire ist mein Lieblingstier in Buecher de TOP list
You can order Wolfgang Hampel 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' (Satire is my favourite animal)
U.S.A.
United Kingdom
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Germany buecher.de
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Poland
Romania
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
The Netherlands - DODAX
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung "Vita Magica" der Akademie für Ältere in Heidelberg
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
The best president ever
Roger Cicero - ESC winner 2007
Many ESC fans from all over the world are so very sad because we lost Joy Fleming - one of the best singers ever.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sings 'Try to remember' especially for Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund at Vita Magica September
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
Betty MacDonald fan club groups
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald Memorial Award Winner Wolfgang Hampel's very popular golden satirical book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is available in 5 continents and on Amazon U.S. Best Sellers Rank in Parody.
( see list below )
We have a golden Betty MacDonald fan club Egg for you.
Tell us your favourite satirical text of Wolfgang Hampel's book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier, please and you'll get several fascinating Betty MacDonald fan club items for free.
Wolfgang Hampel's very successful book is available in many countries around the world. ( see links below )
A wonderful Betty MacDonald fan club egg: You can win a first edition of one of Betty MacDonald's books with a dedication of Betty MacDonald. It's a golden treasure.
Don't miss this unique Betty MacDonald fan club offer, please.
Thank you so much for your interest and support.
Greetings,
Astrid
Betty MacDonald Memorial Award Winner Wolfgang Hampel's very popular golden satirical book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is available in 5 continents and on Amazon U.S. Best Sellers Rank in Parody.
( see list below )
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshalls SWR 3 TV Sendung HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE am Samstag, den 3. August 2019 21.50
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Marc Marshall in SWR 3 TV ' Talk am See ' - HERZSCHLAG - MOMENTE
Wolfgang Hampel's very witty book 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is No 1 Buecher de TOP List.
Wolfgang
Hampels sehr witziges Buch ' Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' ( Satire is
my favourite animal ) ist No 1 Buecher de TOP Liste.
Many greetings - viele Grüße
Mats
Many greetings - viele Grüße
Mats
buecher.de - Schnell, Günstig, Versandkostenfrei
Wolfgang Hampel, Satire ist mein Lieblingstier - jpc
Wolfgang Hampel, Satire ist mein Lieblingstier - lehmanns media
Wolfgang Hampel, Satire ist mein Lieblingstier - Jokers
Ich habe dieses Buch gekauft, weil Krimi-Königin Ingrid Noll Wolfgang ... sehr, daß wir die monatliche literarische Veranstaltung Vita Magica von Wolfgang Hampel bald einmal besuchen können.
Wolfgang Hampel's Satire ist mein Lieblingstier in Buecher de TOP list
You can order Wolfgang Hampel 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' (Satire is my favourite animal)
U.S.A.
United Kingdom
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Germany buecher.de
Germany - jpc
Germany - lehmanns media
Germany - Jokers
Germany - Weltbild
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Poland
Romania
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
The Netherlands - DODAX
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung "Vita Magica" der Akademie für Ältere in Heidelberg
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
The best president ever
Roger Cicero - ESC winner 2007
Many ESC fans from all over the world are so very sad because we lost Joy Fleming - one of the best singers ever.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sings 'Try to remember' especially for Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund at Vita Magica September
you can join
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald Society
Vita Magica
Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club
Wolfgang Hampel - Betty MacDonald fan club - and Vita Magica Founder
on Facebook
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald fan club on Facebook
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
Betty MacDonald fan club groups
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
+€1.00 shipping
Free shipping
Free shipping
Free shipping
Free shipping
Search Results
Web results
Satire ist mein Lieblingstier
- Satirische Gedichte: Mit Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung
"Vita Magica" der Akademie für Ältere in Heidelberg | Wolfgang
Satire ist mein Lieblingstier
- Satirische Gedichte. Mit Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung
Vita Magica der Akademie für Ältere in Heidelberg. Satire ist mein ...
Jul 17, 2018 - Bücher bei Weltbild.de: Jetzt Satire ist mein Lieblingstier - Satirische Gedichte von Wolfgang Hampel versandkostenfrei bestellen bei ...
Satire ist mein Lieblingstier - Satirische Gedichte von Wolfgang Hampel (ISBN 978-3-95828-155-4) bestellen. Schnelle Lieferung, auch auf Rechnung ...
Aug 1, 2018 - Betty MacDonald fan club - and Vita Magica founder Wolfgang Hampel's new book ' Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ' ( Satire is my favourite ...
