Following the COVID-19 state outbreak, which recently affected a resident in Whitman County, the editorial board at The Daily Evergreen has decided to switch to a weekly print newspaper while maintaining daily coverage on our website, dailyevergreen.com

News will continue to publish stories five days a week. Due to the lack of sporting events, the sports section will be part of the news cycle as well. Opinion and Roots will run the same amount of days, covering local-related debates and businesses, respectively. The beloved arts and culture section Mint will take a break for the rest of the semester. 

We hope all of the normal production and publishing days will resume as usual in the fall of this year.

When the first COVID-19 case appeared in the United States, even in Seattle, many of us in the newsroom felt what a lot of Americans felt — we don’t have a regional case yet, thus there is no reason to panic. 

It’s hard to make the choice to stop printing daily. We are one of the last student newspapers in the nation to have a daily production, a unique privilege we cling to every semester when the idea of budget cuts floats from the top down.

However, we realize that not everyone has the resources and health to stay immune and safe during this pandemic. It’s because of this that we realize we have a responsibility as editors not to put our own reporters, photojournalists, illustrators and columnists, and indirectly their families and friends, at risk of exposure if we can avoid it. 

We appreciate your continued support and readership during this hopefully temporary change and encourage everyone to practice the recommended steps to stay healthy during this outbreak.

If you have a news tip, share it. If you have a story to tell, let us know. If you have feedback, give it. We remain here to listen.

A new print issue will be out every Thursday and all of our stories remain online at dailyevergreen.com and links can be found on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Thank you for reading.