Thread by @GovInslee

To protect Washingtonians from COVID-19, I am issuing a ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order.

Here is what it means for you and your family. ⬇️

Effective immediately, all Washingtonians must stay home unless they are pursuing an essential activity.

Those include:
➡️ Grocery shopping
➡️ Doctor appointments
➡️ Essential work duty

You can still go outside. Take a walk. Ride a bike. Garden.

But you must remain six feet away from everyone at all times.

All non-essential businesses must close within 48 hours unless all employees can work from home.

Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and other essential businesses will remain open. Restaurants can continue to offer take-out and delivery service.

This order is enforceable by law, but the legal penalties are not what should convince people to follow these orders.

The real penalty may be the loss of a loved one to COVID-19. There are 110 Washington families who can tell you what the pain of that loss feels like.

More people staying home means fewer people get COVID-19.

That will save lives.

For the sake of our neighbors, our health workers, our seniors and others: No one should make a run on the grocery stores to overstock.

If each of us maintains our normal shopping habits, we will avoid the problem of empty shelves.

The state built a website for all COVID-19 information, including health recommendations and resources to help workers and businesses:

➡️ coronavirus.wa.gov

While we minimize our physical interactions, it is crucial that we maximize our emotional connections.

We are in this together, Washington.

I make this promise to you: We will get through this.

Stay home. Stay healthy. Thank you, and be well. #WeGotThisWA