'I foresee a hardship': Seattle-area businesses reckon with economic impacts of coronavirus

UPDATE, March 10: Adds information about Amazon's fund to help nearby small businesses and Gov. Jay Inslee's announcement about additional support for businesses and workers. For the Seattle region, the novel coronavirus presents a significant public health challenge — and also a threat to people’s livelihoods. The economic impact is already being felt. Hotels face cancellations, restaurants have empty tables, and a major economic driver for Seattle, the Emerald City Comic Con, which was set to start this week, has been postponed. Large employers including Microsoft and Amazon have asked employees to work from home, limiting commerce near their campuses.