Here are all the Gig Harbor coronavirus closures we know about, including schools
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Starting Tuesday, March 17, all Peninsula school district schools will close indefinitely, the district announced Thursday.
“Public health officials have told us to expect to remain closed for a minimum of 6 weeks,” the district said in an announcement to parents. “Please note, Friday, March 13 is a non-student day as normally scheduled. “
The PSD decision came after Gov. Jay Inslee ordered the closure of all schools in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in an emergency measure to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“We have kept our schools open as long as possible, as recommended by state and local public health authorities, but now this situation has changed,” the district said in an unsigned statement on its website. “We understand that this will create hardship for many families, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation.”
Parents with questions can leave a voicemail at the district’s coronavirus hotline: 253-530-1111. Voicemails will be returned within 48 hours, the district said.
City Hall closed, too
The school district’s announcement was followed minutes later by one from the City of Gig Harbor, announcing that city offices and the Municipal Court will also be closed to the public beginning Tuesday, “out of an abundance of caution.”
“This is a challenging time, and we are in uncharted waters,” the unsigned statement said.
The city said it would evaluate the situation daily and issue updates at 2 p.m. every Friday.
City staff will still be available via phone and email, and city inspections will continue, the announcement said.
“We have a continuity of operations plan in place and are confident in our ability to deliver continued essential services,” the city said.
After-school events canceled
The Peninsula School District had already announced Wednesday it is canceling all events, including plays, concerts, dances, and assemblies with anticipated attendance of 250 or more people.
“We want to reiterate that there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Peninsula School District, “ a district spokesman said in a message to parents.
The district gave these specific examples:
- Band/music concerts scheduled at Peninsula High School, Harbor Heights and Voyager Elementary Schools are canceled.
- Voyager STEAM night is canceled.
- All assemblies are canceled.
- Middle school basketball jamboree at Harbor Ridge Middle School is canceled.
- The “Mr. Gig Harbor” event set for Friday, March 13, at Gig Harbor High School is canceled, as well as the “Spring Fling” dance on Saturday night.
- The Gig Harbor High School production of “Les Miserables,” scheduled to run March 20-28, has been postponed to a later date, to be announced.
The district has also canceled mentoring by adult volunteers from Communities in Schools Peninsula.
The district has asked parents to consult its web site frequently for schedule changes
PenMet Parks events canceled
PenMet Parks are still open, but a number of events have been canceled, according to spokesman Chuck Cuzzetto. They include:
- All programs, classes, leagues, and other scheduled activities
- All rentals will be contacted to confirm the rental status and provide updates.
- Events – Adult Egg Hunt, Adaptive Recreation Egg Hunt, Tea with the Easter Bunny, Spring Egg Hunt and Scavenger Hunt Hike and other events have been postponed.
Participants in classes or leagues will be contacted by program coordinators to provide credits or refunds. Renters of park venues may reschedule or receive a refund.
The PenMet Park Board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 in Gig Harbor City Council chambers will go on as usual, but the public may email comments if they don’t wish to attend. The district’s email address is info@penmetparks.org. The meeting agenda can be found at www.penmetparks.org
Other cancellations
Many other events in the Gig Harbor area have been canceled due to coronavirus concerns,
Cottesmore of Life Care has canceled all events in its public meeting space until March 26, including the Chamber of Commerce forum originally scheduled for Thursday, March 12.
Service club meetings normally held at Cottesmore or its adjacent Harbor Place residence have also been canceled for the next two weeks. Those include Gig Harbor Altrusa, Kiwanis, Lions Club, Rotary and Soroptomists.
Cottesmore management said they took the step because of the many elderly residents in the care home.
Harbor History Museum
The Harbor History museum remains open, but has canceled all of its public programs through the rest of March, including one scheduled for Thursday which was to have included a chocolate tasting.
“That was painful,” said Robin Harrison, the museum market director. “But we will be rescheduling it for sometime in April.”
Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula libraries
Both the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula public libraries will close to the public after Saturday. March 14, joining the other 18 libraries in the county system. After-school programs or other events in the libraries are also cancelled, said Mary Getchell, spokesperson for the Pierce County library system.
The library will not charge fines on overdue books and materials during the closure, Getchell said.
The closure is open-ended. The libraries will rely on recommendations from public health officials about when it is safe to re-open.
Earlier, the library system canceled activities such as story times, author visits, computer classes and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) events through April 30.
Gig Harbor Boat Shop
The Gig Harbor Boatshop has canceled all of its workshops and events through April. Director Guy Hoppen said refunds will be issued to all ticket holders and workshop students.
The events canceled include:
Tales at the BoatShop | March 15
Nautical Rope Wreathmaking | March 19 and April 23
Coastal Rope Tray Class | March 26
Music at the BoatShop | March 27
Family Boat Building | April 4-5
Pond Boat Building | April 8, 13, 20, 22
Ticket holders and workshop participants may choose to be refunded, have their fee held for future workshops, or redirect it as a donation. Direct questions to info@gigharborboatshop.org
The BoatShop Store will also be closed until further notice, but “we are hoping to launch an online Boatshop store quite soon,” Hoppen said.
Gig Harbor Yacht Club
The Gig Harbor Yacht Club has canceled its monthly dinner, said Leah Philpott, the club’s rental manager, and two rental clients have also canceled.
“Other than that, it hasn’t been too bad, and we’re hoping things will get back to normal quickly,” she said.
A Chamber of Commerce “Business After Hours” gathering scheduled for Tuesday at the Canterwood Golf and Country Club took place as usual, but a Chamber-sponsored public affairs forum set for Thursday at Cottesmore was canceled.
New rules for hospital visits
On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation limiting visits to hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
Family members can’t visit unless they have been screened for signs of symptoms of COVID-19, including fever of 100.4 or higher, cough or difficulty breathing; contact with a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the last 14 days or are under investigation for COVID-19.
In addition, visitors must be adults who can show identification, sign a log and list their phone numbers and email addresses, and they must visit their family member in their own room, not a common area.
The new rules affect about 55,000 individuals who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, according to Cheryl Strange, Secretary of the state Department of Health and Social Services.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department recommends that people over age 60 avoid gatherings of 10 or more people. People at high risk (chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant) should avoid attending events with large crowds such as concerts, church and fairs or festivals.
For employers and businesses, the department said, “We encourage agencies that serve the elderly, immune compromised or pregnant woman to consider postponing special events and meetings.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 2:43 PM.