Protesters rally against Washington stay-at-home orders
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered at the Washington state Capitol on Sunday to protest Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
In Olympia, some protesters wore masks, while others waved American flags. One of the organizers of the event says rural areas should be treated differently than more urban locations with more coronavirus cases.
Earlier Sunday, Inslee decried President Donald Trump’s call to “liberate” parts of the country from social-distancing decrees, saying Trump is fomenting a potentially deadly “insubordination” before the pandemic is contained.
Washington state has more than 11,800 confirmed virus cases and over 600 deaths.
Also on Sunday, officials confirmed a King County Metro bus driver who worked in a highly-populated area that includes Seattle has died after contracting the coronavirus.
Metro in a statement to The Seattle Times confirmed the death Thursday of 59-year-old Samina Hameed.
“Metro and our entire community are deeply thankful for their service,” Metro officials said. “Our thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues, as we look to do everything we can to support them.”
Hameed had been a Metro employee since 2017. Her husband is also a Metro operator, and the two have three children. Hameed is the first Metro bus driver to die during the pandemic.
Transit is deemed an essential service, but drivers typically come in contact with the public and have an increased chance of contracting the virus.
Washington has more than 11,800 confirmed virus cases and at least 624 deaths, according to the state Department of Health.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
On Friday, Washington state Republican legislative leaders released their plan for reopening Washington’s economy. It specifies some lower-risk industries — such as residential construction, auto dealers and solo landscapers — that could reopen soon.
The plan’s 16 recommendations focus mostly on assisting small businesses. It would, among other things, slash Business & Occupation (B&O) taxes, provide sales-tax holidays for retail stores and suspend any inflation-adjusted minimum-wage hike for 2021.
“We believe many sectors of our economy can operate safely, and employers have every incentive to take the precautions needed to guard the health of their workers and their customers,” said Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Schoesler, of Ritzville, in a statement.
Inslee said last week he is planning to reopen the economy in phases, likely starting with businesses. The governor has said some restrictions could potentially stay in place beyond May 4.
