A reflection by King County Creative’s Kate Becker…
Time to hunker down if you are in a position to do so.
13 days ago, I was put on a Public Health assignment. Working in Dow’s (King County Executive) office means I’m right in the heart of it. Public Health is in our building.
Led by Dow, my noble Exec Team colleagues have been relentless in clearing barriers, freeing resources, solving problems in record time, and figuring out how to make our new reality work for the most people, including those who are most vulnerable.
Top notch Public Health professionals everywhere. CDC agents have been arriving regularly since last week. Heartbreaking decisions abound. They are utterly determined and I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with any other team. Incredibly stellar and completely committed public servants pulling 18 hour days nonstop, and not sleeping well in the other 6 hours.
I assure you we are in the best of hands as we navigate this nightmare locally. I am in daily meetings with Public Health and deputized to do outreach and two way communications with these sectors:
- creative industries and communities generally,
- all mass gatherings with > 50 people,
- music venues and clubs,
- arts, culture and science orgs,
- theaters and museums,
- parades festivals, recreational events, etc
If you are in these camps, please reach out if I can help.
Most of our public spaces are shut down now. Please hunker down in place if you possibly can. There’s no time to waste.
We don’t have medical capabilities to match the rate of positive COVID-19 test results. WE MUST FLATTEN THE CURVE. Lives depend on it.
To those of you who have hunkered down – thank you.
To those of you who have to work the front lines of clinics, hospitals, grocery stores, food banks, pharmacies, etc.- thank you for your service.
To those of you who are going out and about as if you are invincible – our community is not invincible and it is time to retreat to wherever you can sequester yourself away.
Please hunker down. We all need to do our part to flatten the curve.
There is no time to waste