• Editor’s note: “Starting today, events that take place in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties with more than 250 people are prohibited by the state.”
• Yelm officials must take note that this strategy will probably be extended to Thurston County, too.
• Where are the planning guidelines from Mayor Foster to his constituents? What about taking the initiative?
• The city should move the council meetings back to the Public Safety Building to adhere to the Governor’s social distancing suggestions, because the current room is way too confined.
• The city should cancel the Easter Egg hunt touted by the mayor last night!
• Yelm readers should be prepared for more state mandated strategies, including the potential of schools being closed.
• Tips to Keep Your Neighborhood Healthy

“Inslee issues emergency proclamation that limits large events to minimize public health risk during COVID-19”

• From Gov. Jay Inslee’s media release:

“Gov. Jay Inslee announced new community strategies and social distancing plans Wednesday at a news conference in Seattle to minimize COVID-19 exposure, particularly in counties hit hardest by the virus.

“Starting today, events that take place in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties with more than 250 people are prohibited by the state. This order applies to gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational activities. These include but are not limited to: community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based, or sporting events; parades; concerts; festivals; conventions; fundraisers and similar activities.

“‘This is an unprecedented public health situation and we can’t wait until we’re in the middle of it to slow it down,’ Inslee said. ‘We’ve got to get ahead of the curve. One main defense is to reduce the interaction of people in our lives.’

“He is asking school districts to make contingency plans around how they could provide services to families in need if schools closed for several weeks. Potential issues to address include free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch, students completing school work at home, and child care options.

“W.H.O. Declares Pandemic as Number of Infected Countries Grows “

“The spread of the coronavirus across more than 100 countries now qualifies as a global pandemic, World Health Organization officials said on Wednesday, confirming what many epidemiologists have been saying for weeks.”

“Now there is evidence on six continents of sustained transmission of the virus, which has infected more than 120,000 people and killed more than 4,300, and by most scientific measures the spread qualifies as a pandemic. The designation itself is largely symbolic, but public health officials know that the public will hear in the word elements of danger and risk,” by The New York Times. Read more