From NBC News, March 4:
As the death toll in Washington climbed, Seattle's mayor declared a civil emergency and businesses braced for economic fallout.
SEATTLE — It's not her birthday for another month, but Ruby Francisco has been singing "Happy Birthday" a lot lately.She does it every time she washes her hands.
"That's what they said to do," said Francisco, who owns a jewelry store here. "I tell my grandchildren to sing when they wash their hands so they do it right."This is life in the age of the coronavirus: sifting through rumors, feverishly following updates and doing whatever it takes to avoid the virus, which has infected more than 89,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,100 of them.In Seattle, bracing for the coronavirus also means preparing for what could be a devastating economic impact. Business owners and residents have already seen a drop-off in tourists in areas of the city that heavily depend on foot traffic."It's like a ghost town," Francisco said about the famous Pike Place Market where she has her shop.
Nine people in the United Stated have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus — all of them in Washington, which has reported 31 cases of the disease. Eight of the deaths were in an area of King County about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle, and one was in neighboring Snohomish County."This is a very fluid, fast-moving situation as we aggressively respond to this outbreak," Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County Public Health, said in a statement.
As Amazon goes cashierless in a bigger way:King County health officials said the concern is particularly high for people who are 60 and older or who have compromised immune systems. Children do not appear particularly susceptible to the virus, which originated in mainland China....MORE
And In News From The Seattle Metro Area: "Amazon made a bigger camera-spying store—so we tried to steal its fruit"
