
“Your current conduct is placing yourself and your fellow Seattleites in danger." Although playgrounds and sport courts are now closed throughout Seattle and King County, people are still gathering in public parks, and that's causing authorities to warn of consequences like those in Spain. The Seattle Times saw police using a loudspeaker in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday to tell non-socially-distanced people: “Lack of voluntary compliance could result in a full closure of all parks, which will eventually result in trespasses, and possibly criminal prosecution.”
Thinking you'll go to state parks instead? Nope. All of our state park campgrounds are closed, as of Sunday, to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Yesterday's death toll was unusually low in Washington, which has one reporter crossing her fingers:
Washington state announced only one covid death today. That’s the first time it’s been that low in more than two weeks—a little after this whole thing broke out.
I both feel for the loved ones of that person and can’t help but 🤞 that this is an early sign of a slowing https://t.co/41oZWbszQM
— Karen Weise (@KYWeise) March 23, 2020
With Congress still deadlocked over a coronavirus bailout bill, the Federal Reserve is taking additional action: "The Federal Reserve said it would buy as much government-backed debt as it needs to keep financial markets functioning," The New York Times reports, "and unrolled a series of programs meant to shore up both large and small businesses — a whatever-it-takes effort to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic."
The Great Empty: The worldwide lockdown, in pictures.
Oh, he may be weary: President Trump is growing tired of social distancing measures, even as his surgeon general says, "We really, really need everyone to stay at home."
The mayor of Edmonds is saying the same thing as the surgeon general: In the form of a "stay at home" order. So is the mayor of Everett. Those moves are upping the pressure on Governor Jay Inslee to issue a statewide stay-at-home order.
A call to stop live broadcasts of Trump's "destructive" daily press conferences: From Margaret Sullivan, the media columnist at The Washington Post.
More and more each day, President Trump is using his daily briefings as a substitute for the campaign rallies that have been forced into extinction by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
These White House sessions — ostensibly meant to give the public critical and truthful information about this frightening crisis — are in fact working against that end.
Hospital ship not coming to Seattle after all: It's going to Los Angeles instead. (Though Washington will get some federal field hospitals.)
Governor Inslee is "very disappointed" about the ship not coming, which makes him like a lot of governors and mayors all over the country. They're in "an uproar" over Trump's "confusing statements" and slow response, The Washington Post reports.
The first Boeing employee has died: "On Saturday, while he was still in intensive care, his brother posted a plea to Boeing on Facebook," The Seattle Times reports. "Boeing Everett plant, please close your doors and shut down." The plant is remaining open.
Car accidents are way down: A law firm that specializes in injury suits found a 67 percent drop in local car accidents since social distancing measures began.
Pollution also continues to be way down: Check out these maps.
And while a large majority of Republicans think the threat of the coronavirus is exaggerated, it's Trump who's lying about all things virus-related—especially when it comes to his own response to the crisis.
As Trump pivots to coronavirus crisis mode, let’s not forget the months of downplaying and denial. pic.twitter.com/gH1xZAHXm5
— The Recount (@therecount) March 17, 2020