Coronavirus fallout so far in The Long and Winding Road

We’re only a couple of weeks into the Coronavirus here in the Seattle area and already the effects are starting to be devastating. It’s most likely only a matter of time before it comes to your town, wherever you are.

I know of several (if not all) downtown hotels that have closed at least 1/3 of their floors, so the rooms don’t need to be cleaned or heated. House cleaning staff and other hotel employees have been either laid off or had their hours cut. Small restaurants and cafes in downtown Seattle that depend on the lunch crowd for their livelihood, have let employees go because their customer base has fallen dramatically. Several (I don’t know how many) larger, popular restaurants may have to close temporarily. It’s been taking me half the time to get to and from work as it usually does because there are so few cars on the road. This means people aren’t buying gas or paying tolls, or supporting our mass transit system. Flight attendants and pilots are being laid off. Major events have been postponed, meaning millions of dollars in lost revenue. All those people who have been laid off, especially lower income people like hotel cleaning people and wait staff, won’t be able to pay their rent or their power bills. Landlords who depend on rental income to make their own mortgage payments will be in trouble.

The list goes on and on. This is very serious, and it doesn’t look like the end is in sight. It likely will get worse before it gets better. I am glad that our president has assured everyone that we should not worry, that it will go away.

My friend Nancy decided to self-quarantine at least until she sees her doctor tomorrow. (I might have mentioned this already). I don’t blame her, but it’s created quite a hardship in the office because there are only a few other people who can substitute for her at the reception desk, leaving their own work behind. Vivian is one of them and she is pissed. She never said one word to me today, even when we almost bumped into each other. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, for sure.

That’s the update from Kirkland, Washington.