Several schools in western Washington closed this week for deep cleaning out of an "abundance of caution" over coronavirus concerns.
Health officials are urging anyone who is sick to stay home, and people should continue to frequently wash their hands with soap and water.
King County is recommending people who are over 60 years of age and have underlying health conditions, as well as people who are pregnant, avoid large crowds until further notice to limit potential exposure to coronavirus.
There are some scattered closures and event changes around Puget Sound that could impact you.
CLOSED, CANCELED, OR POSTPONED:
- The Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank announced will be closed the week of March 9-14 to help reduce the risk of exposure. This includes food and clothing donations, shopping, all programs, volunteering, and meetings. Officials said the closure will allow staff time to create an alternative operations and distribution plan.
- The city of Redmond announced on Wednesday that all senior programs are canceled and Bytes Cafe is closed for drop in until further notice. The following events are also canceled:
- Friday, March 6: Winter Whimsy at City Hall.
- Friday, March 6: Family Movie Night at Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village.
- The Poverty Bay Wine Festival scheduled for March 7 is canceled “due to community health concerns.” The Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park said if you purchased tickets to the festival, they can be used for the Blues and Brews event on August 29, 2020.
- The Kirkland Shamrock Run scheduled for March 14 has been canceled. Event officials said they have emailed all registered participants informing them of the cancelation. Another email will be sent Thursday with information on how organizers plan to proceed.
- The annual Big Climb, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, that was scheduled for March 24 is postponed.
- Several REI employees confirm the company closed their corporate campuses until Thursday for a deep cleaning. This does not impact REI retail stores.
- The Seattle Immigration Office closed after an employee visited the Life Care Center in Kirkland, a nursing home seemingly at the center of a possible outbreak.
- Emerald City Comic Con has been postponed. It was scheduled for March 12-15. Organizers are hoping to secure a date for the event later this year, but no official dates have been announced yet. Attendees are able to get a refund.
CHANGED:
Microsoft changed an employee summit planned for Redmond and Bellevue to an online-only event. The event was scheduled for March 15-20.
GeekWire reports a new downtown Seattle skyscraper was closed Monday over coronavirus concerns: F5 Networks closed its downtown Seattle office building on Monday for cleaning after an employee came in contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. The network infrastructure and security technology company employs about 1,500 people at the new F5 Tower that opened in November.
Domestic travel inside the U.S. is considered safe. If you're traveling out of the country, check for travel notices for your destination. The U.S. government warns Americans to avoid non-essential travel to China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea.
OPEN:
The Washington State Career Development Conference scheduled for March 5-7 in Bellevue is will go on as planned. Event organizers said they are following guidelines from Public Health – Seattle & King County for in-person interaction. Organizers said the event will be canceled if directed by the county health department, the Washington State Department of Health, the city of Bellevue, and/or the CDC.
The Seattle Sounders FC held their season opener as planned, amid concerns of large crowds during a potential outbreak. The team took precautions, such as extra hand sanitizer stations for fans and extra sanitary wipes at concession stands. The Sounders beat Chicago 2-1.
