SEATTLE — Forced to work from home, with kids’ toys crowding the living room and restaurants drawing shut, many in Seattle and beyond have turned to the outdoors — too many, it turns out.
Police over the weekend took to loudspeakers and blared reminders for Seattle parkgoers to keep their distance from each other.
The announcements raised the specter of legal consequences and stricter government measures that could come to the region if state and local leaders order more businesses to close and residents to shelter in place. While Gov. Jay Inslee has avoided such restrictions as government leaders worldwide work to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, other officials are beginning to take action on their own.
Their approaches vary, but have the same goal: for people to stay home.
King County, Seattle and other cities closed portions of their parks on Friday. Everett’s mayor directed residents to stay home. And some governments are taking more targeted measures, like the Pacific County health officer who closed beaches to razor clam digging.