As the death toll in Washington
climbed, Seattle's mayor declared a civil emergency and businesses braced for
economic fallout.ch 4, 202002:06
March
3, 2020, 10:05 PM CST / Updated March 4, 2020, 1:34 AM CST By
Alicia Victoria Lozano
SEATTLE
— It's not her birthday for another month, but Ruby Francisco has been singing
"Happy Birthday" a lot lately.
She
does it every time she washes her hands.
"That's
what they said to do," said Francisco, who owns a jewelry store here.
"I tell my grandchildren to sing when they wash their hands so they do it
right."
This is
life in the age of the coronavirus: sifting through rumors, feverishly following updates and
doing whatever it takes to avoid the virus, which has infected more than 89,000 people worldwide and killed
more than 3,100 of them.
In
Seattle, bracing for the coronavirus also means preparing for what could be a
devastating economic impact. Business owners and residents have already seen a
drop-off in tourists in areas of the city that heavily depend on foot traffic.
"It's
like a ghost town," Francisco said about the famous Pike Place Market
where she has her shop.
Nine
people in the United Stated have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the
new coronavirus — all of them in Washington,
which has reported 31 cases of the disease. Eight of the deaths were in an area
of King County about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle, and one was in
neighboring Snohomish County.
"This
is a very fluid, fast-moving situation as we aggressively respond to this
outbreak," Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County
Public Health, said in a statement.
King
County health officials said the concern is particularly high for people who
are 60 and older or who have compromised immune systems. Children do not appear particularly
susceptible to the virus, which originated in mainland China.
As the
death toll climbed Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, proclaimed a civil emergency.
The declaration allows her to bypass regulations to increase city spending,
contracting and borrowing to address the growing public health threat. It will
also allow her office to close facilities and cancel events to prevent the
virus from spreading further.
"We
know that our city will need additional resources from our state and federal
government," she tweeted. "We are looking to our partners to increase
the availability of testing in a way that does not overwhelm the health care
system, but meets the growing need."
She
also asked residents to do their part by practicing good hygiene and making
contingency plans at home and work.
Community
members say that the move suggests that local leaders are taking the threat
seriously but that it also points to hard times ahead for businesses dependent
on tourism and pedestrians.
"It's
our public duty to help people who are vulnerable," Tiia-Mai Redditt of
Seattle said Tuesday while shopping for hand sanitizer at a Target. The store
had been sold out for days, an employee said, and Redditt worried about a
friend with a lung condition. She had already tried a nearby Whole Foods and a
Trader Joe's.
"I've
never seen downtown so empty," she said, referring to the streets, not
just the shelves.
Across the
street at Pike Place Market, Francisco wiped down the countertop at her jewelry
store, Ruby's Seattle Gift Gallery. She usually keeps two doors open for
customers. On Tuesday, one stayed closed because she was worried about germs.
"It's
so scary," she said. "I'm going to start praying not just for a cure,
but for the families in mourning right now."
Francisco's
store has been in the same small corner for 43 years, she said. Before that,
her mother owned a novelty shop in another spot of the usually bustling
shopping area. Millions of people visit Pike Place Market annually.
But the
stalls are empty this week. Vendors aren't flinging fish to one another;
instead, they're checking their phones or reading a book.
Down a
normally crowded hallway, Market Magic & Novelty Shop also remained quiet.
A family bought a small keepsake and then walked out. No one came in after.
"We're
rethinking our business model, that's for sure," owner Sheila Lyon said.
"People are scared. They don't want to be in public spaces."
Since
the coronavirus outbreak began,
Lyon has been losing money most days. So has Francisco.
Lyon
and her husband make up a little money on the weekends, but every day seems to
bring fewer and fewer customers. As a result, Lyon, who has owned her business
for 47 years, is turning to social media to entice customers. But even that
comes with a caveat, she said.
"Our
wholesaler gets his supplies from China," she said. "He told me he
only has six months' worth of products left."
Lyon is
worried about how the emergency declaration will affect her bottom line. King
County has already canceled big events scheduled for this week, such as the
Womxn's Day Speaker Series and the Cultural Crossroads Festival.
Across
Lake Washington in Bellevue and Redmond, Microsoft canceled its Most Valuable
Professional Summit. It will be held online, instead.
This is
all bad news for business owners.
"We
rely on them," Lyon said of the events.
Francisco,
meanwhile, is rethinking a coming birthday cruise to Mexico. She feels lucky to
have avoided infection while traveling to Egypt in December and wonders whether
it's worth risking exposure to the coronavirus.
In
Seattle, she's already avoiding many public places. She skips her morning jogs
and warns her son to avoid the bus.
Like
many other Americans, Francisco searched all weekend for hand sanitizer and
masks. Costco, Target and Walgreens were all sold out, she said. Standing
behind her counter at Pike Place Market, Francisco fought the urge to hug the
first customer she'd had in hours.
"I
like to hug," she said. "But, no offense, I just don't want to
now."
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