Everett mayor directs residents to stay home

Everett’s mayor has issued a directive ordering all residents and business owners to stay home except for essential activities, government services or infrastructure. The directive takes effect at noon on Monday, until further notice.

Homeless populations aren’t subject to the directive, but are urged to find shelter.

Mayor Cassie Franklin says if you leave your home for essential activities or if you go to work in an essential business or government function, you must follow social distancing practices. Read the mayor’s directive.

“Our expectation is that our residents stay home, within their family household and only go to do essential errands such as getting something at the grocery store, pharmacy or if they’re employed in one of the essential businesses that are necessary for the health and safety of our community,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin in an interview with KIRO Radio’s Hanna Scott on Saturday.

Franklin praised Governor Inslee for his leadership during the coronavirus outbreak, and his ability to make tough decisions at the state level, which so far have not included a statewide stay at home order, but said for her city, this was the right move at the right time.

“I am asking for bolder action here in the city of Everett. I think that this is the type of action we need now,” Franklin said.

“If we fight hard now, if we take these very difficult steps now, we can suppress this virus in our community, reduce the spread, save lives and hopefully protect our health care system from being completely overwhelmed,” she added.

Franklin hoped to have a FAQ posted on her website soon with more detail on what is considered an essential business. For now, she offered a basic list.

“Health care or things that are part of the health care supply chain, a company that is making ventilators for example, pharmacies, child care [because] doctors and nurses need somewhere for their children to go, food supply – obviously grocery stores, delivery trucks and anything that is part of the electric and transportation infrastructure,” Franklin said.

Another essential business is Boeing, which is why her order does not apply to the Everett plant.

Bottom line, it’s not her call.

“Boeing is part of our national defense so the call of what would happen with Boeing would have to happen at a much higher level because those are types of decisions that have nationwide, worldwide impact,” Franklin explained.

But many Boeing workers and families are concerned about safety and have even launched a petition to call for a shut down.

Franklin says for her part, she’s reached out to Boeing and knows the company has asked about nearly half of their 35,000 workforce to work remotely.

“So those that can are not coming into the factory, which is good,” Franklin said. “I have asked that they implement environmental cleaning and social distancing and I know that they have taken these steps.”

Essential business and government services include, but are not limited to, the following:

 Health care operations, including all training and educational programs and home health workers.
 Essential infrastructure, including construction of housing (residential and mixed-use), industrial and
commercial projects currently underway; and operation of public transportation and utilities.
 Businesses that supply products or services necessary to both maintain the functionality and/or
safety of equipment, facilities, utilities, healthcare, national defense, all modes of transportation
and critical supply chains used in other essential businesses.
 Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores.
 Food and beverage providers offering curbside pick up, delivery, take out or drive-thru services.
 Businesses that provide necessities of life for economically disadvantaged individuals and shelter
facilities.
 Pharmacies, health care supply stores and health care facilities.
 Gas stations and auto repair facilities.
 Banks.
 Garbage collection.
 Hardware stores, plumbers, electricians and other service providers necessary to maintain the
safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences and other essential businesses.
 Educational institutions, for the purposes of facilitating distance learning.
 Laundromats, dry cleaners and laundry service providers.
 Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food and goods directly to residences.
 Childcare facilities providing services that enable essential employees to go to work.
 Roles required for any essential business to “maintain basic operations,” which include security,
payroll and similar activities.

KIRO Radio’s Hanna Scott contributed this report.

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