City of Tacoma declares coronavirus emergency
The City of Tacoma declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus, city officials announced Thursday.
The proclamation will allow the city to waive certain contracting and budget requirements, authorize staff to implement emergency purchasing requirements and take other steps in response to the emergency, the city said in a press release.
An employee in the city’s Environmental Services Solid Waste Division tested presumed positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
“The health and safety of our community continues to a priority as we navigate this emergency with our partners in responding to COVID-19,” Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards said. “We are continuing to coordinate with Tacoma Pierce County Health Department to take the appropriate measures to protect the public and slow the spread of the virus.”
The number of COVID-19 cases in Pierce County was at 17 as of Wednesday as the disease continued to spread across Washington state. The death toll attributed to coronavirus is 29 statewide.
