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Governor stops short of new order

Governor Jay Inslee stopped short of issuing an order to require social distancing. But he says that could happen if more people, especially young people, don't comply.

A Seattle woman agrees. Her nasal swab ended up here at the University of Washington Medical Lab where she tested positive for coronavirus.

"I think that younger people have this ‘devil may care attitude,’ said Elizabeth Schneider. “They think that it can’t happen to them.”

But it did happen to the 37-year-old bio-engineer. She first talked about her bought with the coronavirus two weeks ago in Seattle. She skyped from her parents’ home in Arizona where she is recuperating.

“I was so tired,” she said, “I could barely get out of bed just to use the restroom and take a shower eat dinner. And then I just wanted to go back into bed, you know. So I think it is something that will really hit you.”

Governor Jay Inslee sounded more like dad-in-chief as he hammered that message again Friday.

“Stay home,” he said. “Stay home.”

His comments apparently spurred by scenes like this at Alki Beach of mostly young people ignoring his social distancing order potentially putting their elders at risk.

“That is not responsible behavior,” admonished the Governor. “And if you’re seeing an 18-year-old doing that, tell them they’re going to cut them out of the will if they don’t behave. Because we’ve got to be serious about this virus. And if they don’t respect that tell them they’re going to hear from the governor.”

That’s Elizabeth Schneider’s message, too, especially after an innocent party where she thinks she was exposed.

“Almost half of us came down with coronavirus,” she said. “So I think people need to take precautions and need to be a little bit worried.”

Schneider is now a part of two research studies, one of them here at the University of Washington, to help in the search for a vaccine.

She says it took her eight or nine days to feel normal again. Proof that no matter how young are, this is a nasty disease.