State Watch

Seattle mayor to sign order halting residential evictions amid coronavirus outbreak

by Marty Johnson 03/14/20 08:42 AM CDT

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) put a moratorium on residential evictions Friday amid the continued spread of the coronavirus.

The announcement came after President Trump declared a national emergency at a press conference Friday afternoon.

“We cannot let individuals lose their homes or go hungry at this critical time. Over the coming days, we will announce more support from the City for individuals and families and be prepared to connect more individuals with other non-profit and philanthropic resources,” Durkan said in a statement.

King County, where Seattle is located, is the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., with 328 confirmed cases and 32 related deaths.

“The last thing we want is for people to be displaced from their homes or to suddenly have their power and lights shut off,” Durkan told The Hill earlier in the week.

Overall, the U.S. has more than 2,000 cases of the virus and at least 47 deaths. Worldwide, there are over 145,000 cases of COVID-19.

Trump’s national emergency declaration frees up billions in emergency aid that can go towards combating coronavirus.

The move allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to tap into more than $40 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund to help states combat the virus.