Rep. Schrier's Statement on Announced Closures of King and Pierce County Schools

Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) released the following statement after the Governor announced that King and Pierce County schools would be closed for six weeks:

"I understand that is was an extremely difficult decision to close schools for six weeks. But we are at a critical point where we need to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most vulnerable among us. It is incumbent on all of us to take actions to help and difficult decisions have to be made.

I have been anticipating that something like this might happen. So I have spent a lot of time this week making sure that children will still have access to food while they can't get school meals, and parents will be able to get paid leave if they get sick or if they need to miss work to care for a loved one.

The risk of severe illness for most people is low. Most people who get COVID-19 will have mild symptoms and make a full recovery. But in order for our hospitals and health care system to help those who need it, we need to slow the spread and keep COVID-19 away from the elderly and vulnerable.

I will continue to monitor this situation to ensure that we address challenges to come. As always, my office stands ready to assist in any way we can. You can reach us at 425-657-1001."