Local politicians react to Gov. Inslee’s COVID-19 restrictions

Gov. Inslee announced new restrictions on Sunday to help curb the increase in coronavirus cases in Washington state. Local politicians almost immediately issued their own statements.

Dow Constantine, King County Executive
“The number of hospitalizations in King County last week increased by over 70 percent compared to the previous four weeks. … There are twice as many people in local hospitals with COVID-19 as there were just a month ago.

This is the most critical issue: We have to reverse this trend before our hospitals become overwhelmed.”

Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive
“I support the Governor’s plan to roll back to more limited operations and activities across the state. While I remain very concerned about the impact of this order on our already struggling small business and restaurants, I know that we cannot allow the rate of COVID-19 transmission to continue at its alarming pace. Without significant action, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and threatening our healthcare system.

I’m grateful that our Pierce County restaurants can continue participating in the successful Restaurant Rally. I encourage residents to support these businesses and employees by dining in through Tuesday or by ordering takeout through Thursday, if they can do so.”

Jenny Durkan, Seattle Mayor
“Governor Inslee and public health officials had to act to address the significant and dangerous increase in cases and hospitalizations. While Seattle has one of the lowest rates of cases of any major city, we are not immune to the virus surging in the nation, state, and region. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have impacted so many small businesses and workers. People are hurting. These actions will have a particularly profound impact on our small businesses as we head into what normally would be a busy holiday shopping season. While Seattle will continue to work creatively to provide direct financial assistance to our workers and small businesses, we are grateful the state will augment relief on an emergency basis, and we need the federal government to immediately pass another COVID-19 relief package. I will work with the City Council and our philanthropic and business communities to provide further emergency relief in Seattle.

This year’s holiday season will be hard as we cannot gather with our loved ones the way we normally would. But celebrating at a distance is how we keep everyone safe. We are at a crucial point in the pandemic and our actions will shape our ability to return to a more normal life in the months to come. Everyone who lives and works in Seattle must mask up, avoid gatherings — especially all indoor gatherings, and follow all public health guidance. The City will continue to do all it can by maintaining our successful testing programs, working with public health officials to see if we can increase contact tracing, and doing all we can to help our businesses and workers. It’s up to all of us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our communities, particularly our most vulnerable.”

Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive
“With COVID-19 cases rapidly rising, action must be taken to save lives and the capacity of our health care system. Our state has reached a tipping point where doing nothing is not an option. Clearly, the status quo is not working. We support the Governor’s decisive action to save lives. We will do all we can in Snohomish County to protect our most vulnerable residents, preserve our medical capacity, and keep our small businesses functioning. I am very worried about impacts to our local economy, particularly after the rough year we’ve had. I will continue to be a strong advocate for more federal funding to help us through this wave of the pandemic. We are all beyond frustrated with the need for these measures, but they are necessary to push the curve back down. We’ve done it before and can do it again.”

Cassie Franklin, Mayor, City of Everett
“With COVID-19 cases on the rise, affecting more and more of our neighbors, friends and family, it’s clear that we need to do more to slow the spread of this public health threat. Bold actions that align with the recommendations of public health experts must be taken. We support the Governor’s difficult decision and know it will help in our effort to save lives. I am very worried for our small businesses and our residents who will be affected by these necessary actions as they will intensify the toll COVID-19 is already having on our economy and in our way of life. I will fight and advocate for federal funding to support our economies as we work together to combat this pandemic. My team at the City of Everett will prioritize finding ways to support our local economy and work with business owners to find innovative solutions.”

Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer, Snohomish Health District
“I regret the restrictions being necessary, but we need to put on the brakes now to keep from overwhelming the already stressed health care system. These aren’t across the board shutdowns, but rather a strategic freeze within those sectors and situations that are linked to this recent surge in cases. We need everyone to join in and respect the restrictions to turn this around.”

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