A timeline of the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington

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Since the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in King County, life in the region has been virtually upended as state and local officials try to slow the spread of the virus.

Throughout March, officials passed down a series of unprecedented orders -- closing down schools, businesses and restaurants, with the exception of takeout and delivery -- as the spread of the virus impacted nearly every corner of life. Residents are now trying to settle into what has become a new normal, following social distancing guidelines and staying at home as much as possible.

It's unclear exactly how long these social distancing orders will need to stay in place, but officials have said in recent days what people are doing appears to be working to slow the spread of the virus. That doesn't mean we're in the clear, though. Gov. Jay Inslee last week extended his stay-at-home order through May 4 and earlier this week, he announced schools would not reopen for the rest of the calendar year.

On Thursday, he emphasized that if people let up, and stop social distancing, more people in the state will die.

Scroll down and flip through the gallery above to see some of the key events that have happened over the past month in King County and across Washington, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state rose to the thousands.

April 8: Inslee announced he would send field hospital at CenturyLink Field back: Inslee announced the field hospital would be returned to the federal government where it could go to a state that needs it more to battle the novel coronavirus.

April 6: Inslee announced schools would close for the rest of the year: Inslee extended his closure of schools across the state and announced all K-12 public and private schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic year. All schools would continue using a distance learning model.

April 5: Inslee donated 400 ventilators from national stockpile: Inslee said the state would not need the 400 ventilators and would instead give them to other states, such as New York, which have been struggling to get enough equipment and resources to fight the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

April 5: New guidelines recommended people wear face masks in public: The Washington State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines saying people should wear cloth face masks in places where it is more difficult to maintain the recommended six feet of distance apart.

April 2: Stay-at-home order extended through May 4: The governor's order closing all nonessential businesses and banning all gatherings was extended for a month through May 4. Inslee said in an address to Washington residents it was the "soonest" date that could "possibly achieve our ends to keep our loved ones safe" during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

March 29-30: Public Health officials said social distancing measures appeared to be working: New reports released from the Institute for Disease Modeling in Bellevue showed social distancing measures appeared to be working, but public health officials cautioned that there's a lot of uncertainty still, and people must continue to take the orders seriously.

March 23: In-person services in King County closed: Services closed included licensing for vehicles and vessels, treasury operations, in-person applications at the county as well as departments such as the King County Assessor's and Recorder's offices and other court operations.

March 23: King County Metro reduced services: With a decrease in demand as many people switched to working from home, King County Metro reduced its schedule. Metro also announced people would not have to pay fare to ride buses, as the front doors would be closed to most passengers.

March 23: Inslee issued stay-at-home order: Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order closed all nonessential businesses and banned all gatherings. It was initially put into place for two weeks. Under the order, people were still allowed to go outside for walks or exercise, and to do essential tasks, such as grocery shopping.

March 22: King County confirmed cases topped 1,000. On this day, 106 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in King County, bringing the official case count to 1,040. One new death was also reported, bringing the total of confirmed deaths in King County to 75.

March 18: Inslee issued statewide eviction moratorium: Inslee announced the moratorium, which applied to people who were unable to pay their rent. It came as thousands of people lost incomes due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Under the moratorium, people can't be evicted, but tenants are still expected to pay the rent that is due after the order is lifted.

March 18: One-week waiting period to receive unemployment insurance waived: Inslee announced he would ease requirements to get unemployment insurance as more and more people were laid off or had their hours cut drastically.

March 16: All restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities were closed: Inslee ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, gyms and other facilities, with the exception of takeout and delivery services, as the state confirmed more cases and deaths from COVID-19.

March 16: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Washington state tops 1,000.

March 13: Seattle issued moratorium on residential evictions for the nonpayment of rent: Durkan issued an emergency order to temporarily stop residential evictions in Seattle due to the nonpayment of rent. Under the order, tenants must still pay rent and can be evicted once the order is lifted.

March 13: Inslee announced all schools across Washington must close for at least six weeks: Inslee's announcement that all K-12 public and private schools must closed by March 17 through the end of April came just a day after closing schools in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties -- which were reporting the majority of novel coronavirus cases.

March 13: Seattle closed all community centers, libraries: The city closed all libraries and community centers, as well as pools and other recreation facilities.

March 13: Inslee expanded his ban on gatherings of 250 people or more across Washington: The ban originally applied only to King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, but was expanded statewide as the virus began to spread more rapidly.

March 11: Inslee banned all events, gatherings of 250 people or more in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties: Inslee issued an order banning all events and social gatherings of 250 people or more, including sporting events, church services and concerts. The order came as several events had already started to be canceled or postponed as a result of the spread of the virus.

March 6: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Washington state tops 100.

March 4: King County announced plans to buy Kent motel to use as quarantine site: In one of the first press conferences held about the virus, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the county would be buying a motel to use as a quarantine site for people infected with the virus. It was announced a few days later the motel was in Kent, a decision which spurred controversy as the mayor of Kent pushed back.

March 3: Seattle mayor issued proclamation of civil emergency: Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a civil emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, giving her the ability to exercise executive power to “address any immediate dangers to the public."

March 2: Some schools started to close: Schools across the state began closing for a few days at a time at the beginning of March. Some individual schools closed down for cleanings after someone experienced symptoms or was in contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus. Other schools closed for training in the event schools did get shut down for extended periods of time. At the time, officials said there was no reason to close schools across the state yet.

March 2: Companies in the area began urging employees to work from home: From the beginning of March, several companies encouraged all employees who could work remotely to do so, including some of the biggest employers in the county, such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Feb. 29: Inslee announced state of emergency due to COVID-19: Inslee declared a state of emergency, saying it would allow the state to "get the resources we need" to fight the virus.

Feb. 29: The first known death in Washington due to the novel coronavirus was reported: Washington State health officials reported the first known death from COVID-19 in the state.

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