Late Monday afternoon, Mar. 23, 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee spoke directly to Washingtonians to announce he will sign a statewide order that requires everyone in the state to stay home.

The order will last for two weeks and could be extended.

This Stay Home, Stay Healthy order is similar to orders that other governors, in places such as California and New York, issued last week.

This proclamation will:

    • Require every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity.
    • Ban all gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational purposes.
    • Close all businesses except essential businesses (see the full list of essential workers here).

“The less time we spend in public, the more lives we will save,” Inslee said.

The proclamation states it’s still safe for people to go outside as long as they remain at least six feet from each other. Grocery stores, doctor’s offices and other essential businesses will remain open. People can still participate in activities such as bike rides, gardening, and dog walking — as long as they follow social distancing rules.

This order builds on the early and unprecedented steps the state took in the past few weeks to protect Washingtonians. These included closing schools and restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses where people congregate.

“We’ve been very clear on the need for everyone to stay home,” Inslee said. “And, while most Washingtonians are doing their part, some still don’t grasp the seriousness of this pandemic.”

VIDEO
Here’s Inslee’s full speech:

Bans on gatherings and going out take effect immediately.
This order applies to private and public gatherings. These include some of the most deeply meaningful gatherings in communities, such as weddings and funerals.

Along with other public places, non-essential businesses with in-office personnel functions must be closed.

Inslee said it’s crucial to reduce social interactions where this highly contagious virus can spread.\

Business closures must happen 48 hours after Inslee signs the order.
Many businesses can, and should, continue using telework.

All grocery stores, pharmacies, childcare facilities, gas stations, food supply chains and other things that offer people basic, crucial needs will remain open. Inslee expects businesses and residents to voluntarily comply. He will discuss possible enforcement mechanisms in the coming days if residents and businesses do not comply.

Industries that can argue they are essential can request a special designation as an essential business. Businesses and entities that provide essential services must implement rules that help facilitate social distancing of at least six feet.

“We know life will look different tomorrow in Washington,” Inslee said. “And we know tonight’s announcement affects millions of our livelihoods. But these necessary restrictions will protect us and our loved ones so that we have a livelihood to come back to. We will keep working until this is defeated.”

Food security
We want to remind people that the food supply operations — including hunger relief and nutritional support services — are essential services that will remain open and operational through this crisis; this order does not ban people getting access to food.

Remember:

  • Food banks and food pantries are essential services that will remain in operation through this restriction.
  • You can still go to a food pantry to pick up groceries but check the hours before you go. Hours of operation may vary and many hunger relief organizations are moving to new ways to distribute food, such as home delivery and drop-off sites.
  • Food bank volunteers may continue to go to work at food pantries.

King County Sheriff’s Office responds to Stay Home Order
This evening, Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all Washington State residents to stay home for a minimum of two weeks in an effort to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 infections. All non-essential businesses must close within 48 hours.

So what is our role in this? The Governor is not asking law enforcement, including the King County Sheriff’s Office, to actively enforce the stay at home order and we see no need to do so.

Instead, if our deputies see banned gatherings, we will take an educational approach and remind people of the current restrictions issued by the Governor.

It is our hope that people will simply self-regulate their behavior and stay at home to preserve public health and safety. If you must leave home for essential activities, we continue to ask that you follow public health guidelines and practice good social distancing measures.

“Rest assured that we are continuing our work to keep communities safe from crime and responding to emergencies like we always have,” said Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht. “We are all in this together, and together we will see our way through this crisis.”

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