Good afternoon! As the number of coronavirus cases in Washington continues to grow, yesterday, by emergency order, Governor Inslee mandated social distancing measures including prohibiting mass gatherings and large community events expected to draw more than 250 people until March 31 to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. And today, the Governor announced that all K-12 schools in Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties will be closed through April 24. We know that the current situation is impacting the cultural sector in a number of immediate and escalating ways including attendance drops and financial impacts. This is physically, emotionally, and financially extremely hard on each of us - both in our professional lives and personal lives. We are here beside you and will do what we can to help. It is times like this where we look for the support of our community. If you are healthy and not from vulnerable populations, we encourage you to support our community as you can - reach out to neighbors, colleagues, partner organizations, artists, local businesses, and beyond and offer your solidarity, time, energy, and/or dollars. We need each other now more than ever. The health and safety of our community is our top priority as we all do our part to try and contain the spread of COVID-19. While not state mandated at this time, many places are proactively canceling programming that will have less than 250 people in attendance, unless there can be social distancing (at least 6 feet of space between each person); older adults, people with compromised immune systems and underlying health issues, and pregnant women are not involved; employees/staff/volunteers are screened for symptoms; hygiene measures are followed; and CDC guidelines for cleaning are followed. The City of Tacoma's Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality will support the choices our community makes to either move forward with regularly scheduled programming, as allowable by law and with adequate added safety measures, or to postpone or cancel programming. Please adhere to the state mandates and follow the expert guidance of public health authorities: The Washington State Department of Health<https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus>, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html>, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department<http://www.tpchd.org/coronavirus>, our public officials and schools. BASIC HEALTH PRECAUTIONS: Take care of yourselves first so you can take care of each other and your communities: * Stay home if you are sick and avoid contact with people who are sick * Wash your hands often with hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds (an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the next best option) * Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough * Clean and disinfect surfaces with a household cleaning solution RESOURCES: There are a number of outside resources available for artists and organizations: * Resources for organizations and artists as compiled by the National Coalition for Arts' Preparedness & Emergency Response: https://www.ncaper.org/social-media * Resources from Grantmakers in the Arts: https://www.giarts.org/blog/admin/covid-19-coronavirus-and-arts-funding-update-and-action-items * Resources for freelance artists: https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/ Misinformation about coronavirus can create fear and hostility that hurts people and makes it harder to keep everyone healthy. We're stronger as a community when we stand together against discrimination. Take advantage of these resources from King County to prevent, interrupt, and respond to stigma in the wake of COVID-19: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/anti-stigma.aspx Thank you! NAOMI STROM-AVILA Funding & Cultural Programs Manager Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality (she/her) 253.591.5191 TACOMA VENUES & EVENTS<tacomavenues.org> Tacoma Dome<http://www.tacomadome.org/> | Greater Tacoma Convention Center<http://www.tacomaconventioncenter.org/> Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality<http://www.cityoftacoma.org/arts> | Special Events<http://www.cityoftacoma.org/specialevents>