How the Coronavirus has affected the town of Washtucna

It all started March 17, when I declared a local emergency proclamation for the city of Washtucna due to the coronavirus.

The emergency proclamation facilitates potential future assistance related to COVID-19, as well as access to regional and state resources. This declaration was a means to ensure all necessary resources will be available if needed.

On March 21, the first COVID-19 patient in Adams County was confirmed. Ever since, it has been a roller coaster.

Gov. Jay Inslee gave executive orders to wear masks and to stay 6 feet away from everyone, mandated no gatherings of people and asked anyone 60 or older with chronic conditions to shelter in place.

One of the first things that our community exercised was to take care of our elderly.

Our town members pulled together, looked over the elderly and made sure that if they needed anything they were taken care of. We had many that were sheltering in place.

The food pantry, church and a lot of locals “doing the right thing” were busy delivering food as well as toiletries and anything else that was needed.

Over the rest of March and into June as more and more cases of people tested positive for COVID-19, our farmers and community were experiencing changes in how we all were interacting with each other.

The staff and students of our school were distant-learning with digital classes and homework assignments. Community civic and social groups and government agencies — like the volunteer Fire Department, Lions Club, historical society and City Council — were all learning how to have teleconference and video conference meetings.

Everything was put on hold. Weddings, potlucks, funerals, birthdays, class reunions, etc. were canceled with hopes that this fall or in the near future we could we could have or catch up with what was lost. Our businesses were closed after a short time then opened with limited occupancy.

Many projects throughout the community have been either postponed or have been a real struggle to work around the 6-foot minimum distance and “wear-a-mask” mandate. Our community felt like a true ghost town.

We have received financial help for our businesses and our community. In the Federal Payment Protection Program, small businesses are eligible for forgivable loans as long as they keep paying workers.

Adams County Development Council also helped our businesses. The town of Washtucna received funding for personal protective equipment that we made available for donation to community members who could use it. Everyone was very thankful for any type of help we could get.

Throughout the summer our farmers had a successful harvest and our community members had grown to accommodate the change of everyday life of social distancing and wearing a mask.

It seemed as the summer came to a close and fall swung into action we as community members became a little too relaxed with forgetting to social distance and wear masks. Then the weather turned and we are all back in doors.

The virus is hitting us hard again. Now, we have to back up and take extra precautions. We were doing so well.

Our community members will stick together and stay tough through this. We will help one another and look out for each other. We can make it because we have the drive and the heart to tough through anything.

– Brian Hille is the mayor of Washtucna. Email him at [email protected].