Seattle’s iconic Pike Place market is typically bustling with visitors. Under the coronavirus shutdown order, it stands nearly deserted. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)

When the first COVID-19 case in the U.S. was discovered in Seattle, officials in Washington state quickly realized they would have to design their own response to the crisis. From testing to emergency social distancing orders, the state became a pioneer in the U.S. as the federal government waffled, offering inconsistent advice and foregoing a nationwide shutdown.

PBS Frontline highlighted the contrast between the state and federal governments in their response to the pandemic this week in an episode titled “Coronavirus Pandemic: A Tale of Two Washingtons.”

“We always knew that we were going to have to lead the charge given the president’s reluctance to really exercise leadership on this,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told Frontline. “We knew that he had an intent of downplaying what was an emerging problem that could only be explained by someone who had their eye on the Dow Jones rather than the epidemiological curves.”

Watch the Frontline documentary here and continue reading for highlights from the report.

State steps up: Washington state is emerging as an early model for what a successful response to COVID-19 could look like, though experts caution it is too soon to draw conclusions. But Washington and Seattle’s swift response to the coronavirus crisis appears to be flattening the curve of new infections even as the virus spreads throughout the country. “Facts and science … that’s the only thing that’s going to get us through this,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Fortunately we have a really vibrant health and science community here in the state of Washington and Seattle, and we listened to them.”

A fast-acting tech industry: One of the first measures the Seattle region took when it became a hotspot was urging employers to shift to telecommuting if they could. As a technology hub, Seattle was particularly well-positioned for remote work. Microsoft and Amazon were among the first companies to implement broad telecommuting policies for thousands of employees.

“Once we decided at Microsoft that we would be decisive and base our decisions on public health advice then we knew what to do,” Microsoft President Brad Smith told Frontline.

Frustration with feds: Medical professionals and researchers in Washington described “a bureaucratic brick wall” at the federal level that slowed down state efforts to respond in February and March. The University of Washington began developing its own test and local officials coordinated broad social distancing measures. Seattle consulted its pandemic response plan, which Durkan and her staff updated in early February.

“We pulled out the pandemic planning and knew that one of the first things we had to do to separate people from one another was have them telecommute, those that could,” Durkan said. “Our largest employers acted immediately.”

Economic impact: Though the measures appear to be slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the economic impacts have been catastrophic. Jobless claims have soared in a state that had a record low unemployment rates at the start of 2020. Companies across the economy are laying off employees and workers in some industries saw their incomes dry up rapidly.

“It was one of the most vibrant cities in America,” Durkan said. “Our economy was strong. The port was one of the leading ports in the country. We had one of the most vibrant restaurant scenes. Small businesses flourishing. We went from that to almost zero overnight.”

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