In a White House briefing last week, Dr. Deborah Birx praised the states of Washington and California for their comparatively successful efforts to “flatten the curve” in the coronavirus pandemic.
“We really do appreciate the work of the citizens of California and Washington state, because we do see that their curve is different,” she said. “Their curve is different from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — and we really believe that the work that every citizen is doing in those states is making a difference.”
This video of Seattle under lockdown shows what those efforts look like. Having visited Seattle countless times, I can attest that these drone-filmed scenes are a stark and haunting contrast to the normal hustle and bustle of the city.
Washingtonians following social distancing rules appears to be working. Washington, which began as the initial U.S. hotspot in the outbreak, has steadily moved down the list of states with the most confirmed cases to its current place at number 12.
The fact that The Evergreen State had an early alarm with an outbreak in an elderly care facility and a government that moved swiftly to enact mitigation measures likely helped it avoid the exponential explosion seen in some other states. But no doubt these empty streets, markets, and normal tourist hotspots in downtown Seattle show how seriously citizens are taking the pandemic—and serve as example to the rest of the country.
