I started working on this piece three weeks ago. King County was ground zero for the US outbreak and Seattle artists were some of the first and worst hit economically by the pandemic. As an artist myself, it was heartbreaking to see my community suddenly lose all their work (they’re still losing work). I wanted to write something that named not only our struggles, but also our resilience in the face of those struggles. Yet with bad news growing seemingly by the minute and my depression/anxiety along with it, writing became excruciating. I wasn’t sure I would ever finish. Happy to say, however, thanks to the support of family and friends and the determination of my own resilience, I FINISHED and the piece went live today, on my birthday! Gratitude to all the incredible artists who spoke with me for this special piece (you inspire me) and to the wonderful people whose encouragement got me to the finish line
Photojournal: Seattle Center
After Washington’s stay-at-home order is issued, the also iconic Seattle Center – home to Seattle’s Space Needle – is almost completely deserted as well. Apart from a few scattered people walking by or sitting to rest, the sprawling 74-acre arts, educational, tourism and entertainment center is strangely quiet.
Photojournal: Pike Place Market
After Washington’s stay-at-home order is issued, Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market becomes almost completely deserted. A handful of food vendors, classified as “essential” businesses, remain open. But other than a few customers, the normally popular market is shockingly empty at opening and throughout the day.
Photojournal: Stay-At-Home Order Issued
In a televised evening address, Gov. Jay Inslee issues an immediate statewide “stay-at-home” order for at least two weeks. Inslee had resisted giving such an order despite Washington being the first U.S. state hit by an outbreak and other states already ordering stay-at-home or shelter-in-place (California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, etc.). But after widespread reports of crowding at Washington parks over the weekend and shocking photos of residents failing to maintain 6-ft safe distance, the order was finally issued. Seattle becomes quieter than ever.
Photojournal: Caution, Closed
Despite strong urging by Governor Inslee to stay at home and practice social distancing, Washington residents still flock to public parks during unusually sunny spring weather. Because people are congregating at public parks and fields, and using playgrounds that are supposed to be off limits, Seattle Parks & Recreation barricades parking lots, closes fields, and tapes off all city play equipment.
Photojournal: Seattle’s Chinatown-International District
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID), which is filled with small shops and eat-in restaurants, relies heavily on foot traffic. Because of racism and disease stigma, the CID suffered a big decline in customers early on. With the restaurant closure & restriction in place, the District becomes ghostly quiet. Many of the small CID businesses struggle month-to-month and have been resisting gentrification for a long time. Now, business owners wonder, will they have to close their doors permanently?
Photojournal: Restaurants Closed & Restricted
Governor Jay Inslee announces statewide closure of all restaurants, bars, and recreation spaces. Take-out is still ok and restaurants (that can) try to stay open for delivery and to-go orders. However, it is a struggle for most as business drops off steeply.
Photojournal: Seattle Public Schools Close
After appearance of the first SPS positive COVID-19 case at Aki Kurose Middle School and increasing pressure from community groups, Seattle Public Schools suddenly closes through at least the end of April. The district is unprepared, however, and there is no real plan for continued learning. Moving school online is not an option because of limited or no technology access for certain student populations. It will take weeks for the district to begin pulling together other learning options.
Photojournal: Seattle Rush Hour Evaporates
COVID-19 cases continue to grow in King County and officials recommend employers allow as many people to telecommute as possible to slow the spread of coronavirus. Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and other tech firms tell their thousands of Seattle-based employees to stay home. Seattle typically ranks 2nd worst in the nation for traffic congestion but the streets clear rapidly. As many more businesses are restricted or closed, the roads become even emptier and the early morning commute becomes completely unrecognizable. I took these images overlooking downtown Seattle on a Friday morning, around 7:30-8:00am, during what should have been bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic.
A Pandemic Photojournal Begins
A month ago, on January 20, the first known US case of COVID-19 appeared in King County, Washington, where I live. Yesterday, the virus began spreading. As a visual storyteller and photojournalist, I felt an urgent need to get out and photograph as much as possible. So, I decided to start a pandemic photojournal. Though I will be working on other projects and assignments, these particular images are not necessarily for any publication. They are one WOC photographer’s perspective during a time of pandemic.
Today, February 29, a King County man became the first to die from COVID-19 in the US. As case numbers grow in Washington State, shoppers are starting to panic-buy; hoarding toilet & tissue paper, sanitizer, disinfectant wipes & solutions, flour, sugar, and rice. Stores are selling out of these products across the state and emptied shelves are becoming a familiar site. When new stock comes in, customers line up to wait and buy everything instantaneously.
