This is not a defense of the Seattle officials, but I expect that local officials are going to be under siege all over the place, and many will lose local elections over this.
This disease is not forgiving of human error—and we do not live in a zero defect world.
Politicians, by their very nature are not decisive.
China took decisive actions, almost too late for them and the world. But their new cases are going down, as least as far as reported.
Quarantines work. Even of entire cities, unless you are IN that city.
You will not see that in the US. There is no will for it.
politics by nature is completely unequipped to respond to this here. these are people that by definition find middle ground solutions to please as many as possible, or displease as few, etc.
once this springs infection is done, the next response set will be more robust, though once again pleasing the economic numbers may interfere or come first before overt containment.