Southcenter

I met a public health work colleague at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila for lunch. 

I have a long history at Southcenter.  It opened in 1968 and I first went there to shop back in the early 70’s.  It was one of the first indoor malls in the Seattle area.  It is located on 3 freeways: I-5, 518, and I-405, so it is a bit of a crossroads.  Over the years, the surrounding area has become a mecca for big box stores, so it is a bit of shopping destination.  It is still the largest mall in Washington state.

Southcenter ‘reinvented’ itself in 2006 and now includes over 200 stores, along with restaurants and a movie theater.  That expansion, along with the prime location, has kept it viable. 

I also have a history of shopping 😊 and I used to shop at Southcenter frequently.  It once had a decent Nordstrom and one of the better Macy’s in the area.  Here is a recent post from KCM about the demise of department stores as mall anchors ☹. 

Southcenter was bustling on Friday.  But both Nordstrom and particularly Macy’s are shadows of their former selves.  The inventory at Nordstrom was pretty sparse and Macy’s was pretty sad!  I won’t be surprised if at some point they both get ‘reinvented’ per the KCM post.

I was one of the few shoppers sporting a mask.  And when 2 public health people get together, Covid-19 always comes up in the conversation.   We both agree that many people are behaving like we are in a ‘post COVID’ world and we can’t do much/anything to change their minds.  We also think that many people are aware that COVID is still in the mix and a risk, but it feels like more of a back burner issue than a front and center one these days. 

That being said:

We know that Covid-19 is here to stay.

Greta Massetti, CDC Epidemiologist, 8/11/22

Anthony Fauci was in Seattle this week to receive the Hutch Award and threw out the first Mariner’s pitch to boot.  Of course, since he is a public health person, he also talked about Covid-19.

He acknowledges that if ‘we knew then what we know now’, we would have done everything different (specifically regarding masks and social distancing).  He also expressed deep disappointment and concern over Americans’ divided outlook on the disease.

“We’re in a very difficult situation.  (Only) A third of the people in our country are vaccinated and probably boosted.  How can that possibly be when you have a disease that’s killed one million Americans and you have a hesitancy to use lifesaving interventions? 

Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 8/9/22

Enough said!

Allene

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