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With Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement Friday, we’ve entered a new phase of the coronavirus pandemic story. Some restrictions are being loosened while others designed to combat the spread of the COVID-19 will remain in place through at least the end of May.
Information remains key to understanding what decisions are being made, how they are being made and how they affect families, schools, businesses and all other aspects of daily life in the South Sound.
It’s the kind of news and information we’ve been producing day after day since this became a major story here in late February.
Just in the last week, we’ve written about what the University of Washington’s model says about when relaxing social distancing may be possible and about what metrics the governor is using to make his decisions.
We’ve looked at some promising testing of the antiviral drug remdesivir happening through MultiCare Health System in Tacoma and how blood banks in the Puget Sound are collecting plasma from people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 to help others fight the coronavirus.
And we’ve tried to keep a focus on the human side of this story. Matt Driscoll’s column this week on Tammy Edwards, a Tacoma nurse who contracted COVID-19 at work and whose husband is now sick, shows this is about much more than numbers and data sets.
I recently wrote a column describing the ongoing efforts of the reporters, editors and visual journalists at The News Tribune during this crisis. We know you rely on us, and we’re working hard to deliver for you.
I also asked for your help. Our business, like many local businesses, is struggling right now. The impact of the pandemic and the losses in advertising and subscription revenue suffered across our industry in the last decade have put local news sources like The News Tribune in a precarious financial position.
I’m appreciative that many of you have stepped forward to help. Traffic to our website remains at record levels, and the number of digital subscriptions has risen dramatically over the last couple of months.
If you‘d like to support local news and don’t currently subscribe, you can call us at 800-289-8711. Or, you may subscribe online at www.thenewstribune.com/subscribe.
You also can help preserve local journalism by contributing to The News Tribune Coronavirus Reporting Fund - COVID-19 Local News Fund we launched last week at givebutter.com/thenewstribune.
It is part of a partnership with the nonprofit Local Media Association, which is accepting tax-deductible contributions on our behalf.
If you’d like to contribute via check, mail it to COVID-19 Local News Fund, c/o Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689-5015, The check must be made out to “Local Media Foundation” for the donation to be tax-deductible. And please make sure The News Tribune is added to the memo line of the check so the funds are directed to our campaign.
Over 200 people have contributed to the fund in the last week, many of whom have attached supportive notes to their gifts. The response has been humbling. Thank you.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
