On the Mayor's Mind: Now is a critical time for Covid-19

Shoreline Mayor Will Hall

By Will Hall, Mayor, City of Shoreline

Friends and neighbors,

We are in the eighth month of the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to say we are rounding the corner. 

Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, King County is currently seeing its highest case counts of the pandemic. And the numbers are still going up.

I know we are all tired of this. 

But now is not the time to relax. We must remain vigilant. Now more than ever, we must follow the guidelines set out by experts to stop the spread of this disease.

We have to do that so we can get back to a more normal life. 

We want to spend time with family and friends, send our kids to school, eat at our favorite restaurants, see a good show, go to a concert, enjoy our holiday traditions, and get a haircut without wearing a mask and getting a medical exam. To do those things safely, we need to get COVID under control.

Early in the pandemic we heard about flattening the curve. We wanted to slow the disease to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system, and we were successful. As case counts rise again, we are seeing the number of hospitalizations go up. We need to work hard again to flatten the curve.

Fall is here. Days are shorter. Nights are longer and cooler. Many of us are starting to spend more time inside. Closed windows decrease airflow, which can increase risk if you are indoors with other people. The risk goes up if people don't wear masks or get too close together.

The good news is there are proven ways to reduce the risk and stay healthy.

• Avoid gathering in groups.
• If you must gather, keep it brief, keep it small, and keep it outdoors if you can.
• Wear a mask around other people, both indoors and outdoors.
• Keep physically distanced.

It is important to wear a mask AND stay at least six feet away from others.  Do both. It's not safe to do only one or the other.

We can get through this. We proved that last spring. I am so impressed by what I have seen from our Shoreline community. I see most people wearing masks and keeping their distance, even while continuing to help each other. Neighbors helping neighbors is what makes this such a strong community.

There are lots of things you can still do as long as you do them safely. 

You can continue to get take-out from your favorite restaurants. You can still get curbside service from your favorite stores. You can go to medical appointments, and donate blood to help others. If we are all vigilant, limiting our interactions and wearing masks, we can keep our local businesses going and get through this pandemic faster.

Thank you for being part of this great community, and for helping to keep it safe.