GeekWire Podcast: Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

Right here’s what we’re speaking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

It was one other tumultuous week in Seattle, the epicenter of the coronavirus disaster, with eating places and bars ordered closed, massive gatherings banned, and the variety of COVID-19 circumstances and deaths persevering with to climb. We recap the week’s information, examine in with gig economic system staff, and listen to what Invoice Gates has to say.

Among the many week’s occasions: A employee at a tech firm in Seattle grew to become the primary individual injected with a doable COVID-19 vaccine;  Amazon says it needs to rent 100,000 staff to cope with demand, town and state brace for a doable shelter-in-place order, and way more.

Hear above, subscribe in any podcast app, and maintain studying for highlights.

• Gov. Jay Inslee closed all eating places and bars, recreation locations, leisure venues, magnificence salons and barbershops, and plenty of extra. Many eating places and low outlets have gone to takeout solely.
• Gatherings of greater than 50 folks have been banned and Monday President Trump requested folks to restrict gatherings to 10 or much less. Nevertheless, Gov. Inslee has to date prevented a full “shelter in place” mandate. 
• The variety of confirmed COVID-19 circumstances in Washington state as of Friday was 1,524 with 83 deaths. (Be aware: this quantity has been corrected since publication.)
• An Amazon warehouse employee in Queens, NY, examined optimistic for COVID-19, the corporate’s first identified optimistic case in a warehouse worker.
• COVID-19 vaccine trials begin in Seattle.
• Quite a few retailers have closed: Microsoft and Apple shops, REI, Nordstrom, and plenty of extra. T-Cellular was closing 80% of their shops. Seattle companies have taken an enormous financial toll, with a report from the Seattle Metro Chamber exhibiting that almost 40% of all jobs in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties can be severely impacted by the virus.
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a $200M emergency funding invoice. President Trump signed a federal reduction invoice, with dialogue of direct funds to People to stimulate the economic system.
• Use of Microsoft Groups went up 37% within the final week, from 32 to 44 million customers, spurred by demand as extra folks work at home.
• The NYTimes obtained a 100-page report ready by the federal authorities that warns the pandemic “will final 18 months or longer” and will embrace a number of waves of an infection, stressing the healthcare system, essential infrastructure and state and native governments.
• Testing is ramping up. Inslee mentioned the state had acquired federal approval for personal labs to check. The College of Washington opened a drive-through testing station.
• Amazon says it needs to rent 100,000 extra warehouse staff to assist with demand. Amazon instructed third-party sellers it’s going to bar shipments of non-essential objects to its warehouses so it could possibly prioritize medical provides and family items.
• Site visitors within the Seattle space has vanished as individuals are both working from house or they’ve misplaced their job as a result of financial downturn. 
• The US and Canada closed their border aside from cargo and “important” visitors.
• And colleges stay closed, with mother and father trying to fill in as academics and maintain children occupied. Rumors abound that colleges would possibly keep closed by means of the tip of this faculty yr and even the tip of 2020. College of Washington courses can be distant for spring quarter.

Observe our dwell weblog for up-to-date information: Coronavirus Reside Updates: The newest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech

Extra from the podcast: It’s a tricky time to be a employee within the gig economic system. We interviewed gig staff who expressed worry, desperation and uncertainty.

• Pandemic exposes cracks in US labor market, leaving gig staff feeling determined and uncovered

And don’t consider that story about Invoice Gates making an attempt to woo Tom Brady to play in Tampa. However do consider what Gates has been saying for years about making ready for a pandemic.

• Invoice Gates calls out federal authorities for disorganized COVID-19 testing in Reddit AMA

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Taylor Soper and Monica Nickelsburg. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.Ok. Caldwell.