April 17, 2020
This week Gov. Jay Inslee reinforced the need for Washingtonians to remain home. While data from state health officials indicates the state Stay Home order is having a positive impact on limiting the spread of the COVID-19 virus across the state, if people stop abiding by the stay home order we could see those numbers climb quickly, Inslee said.
The city urges residents to continue to remain home except for essential services, including limited trips to the grocery store, pharmacy or for medical treatment. The Stay Home, Stay Healthy order is in effect until May 4 and Inslee could extend it if it appears people aren’t staying home, causing the virus to spread.
Inslee also noted this week that once it is safe to do so, he will lift some of his directives, however they will likely be rolled back in phases similar to how they were implemented. With each roll back data will be studied to determine whether the virus begins to spread again.
It is hard to stay inside when the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm, but people need to keep to their neighborhoods and refrain from going to public places. And if you do have to go somewhere like the grocery store where social distancing is difficult, please wear a cloth mask over your nose and mouth to help limit the spread of the virus.
Other tips for staying safe at home from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department:
- Designate one person to do your grocery shopping/essential service errands.
- Don’t use reusable bags unless they are washable.
- Regularly disinfect car after leaving the house for essential errands, including seatbelts, door handles, steering wheel and other high-touch areas.
- Use hand sanitizer after leaving car.
- Take shoes off before entering your house and change your clothes (wash what you were wearing).
- Wash your hands often (20 seconds, warm, soapy water).
- Cover coughs/sneeze with an elbow or tissue and throw away tissue and wash hands.
- Protect family members over 60, pregnant or with weakened immune systems by keeping six feet away from them as much as possible.
- Clean and disinfect bathrooms, kitchens and surfaces people touch often with EPA-approved COVID-19 cleaning products.
Please Lakewood, stay home so we can stop the spread of COVID-19.
We are in this together.