Dear readers:

On Jan. 21, The Daily Herald wrote our first local story about COVID-19, reporting that the first person diagnosed with the disease in the United States was being treated at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.

In the days and weeks since, our newsroom has worked tirelessly to provide the news, information and, yes, even diversions needed to get you through these troubling times.

Since that January day, our staff has produced almost 300 news stories about the virus and its impact on Snohomish County. Our sports, features and editorial pages also have provided significant coverage.

On March 4, we began offering free digital access to articles related to the outbreak, as a public service to our readers.

Online, we created an item we call What We Know that we’ve posted near the top of the HeraldNet.com website every day. The feature includes the latest news on the virus, including key recent stories; the number of confirmed, suspected and ruled-out cases; reader resources; best health practices; and other critical information.

Those stories and more content related to the health emergency can be found on a dedicated page we’ve created on HeraldNet.com to house all of our coronavirus stories.

We created an email newsletter with virus updates, published daily graphics that track the disease’s progress and developed a new feature that allows readers to share acts of kindness they’ve experienced during these difficult days.

No news organization is covering the outbreak in Snohomish County as comprehensively as The Daily Herald. As a result, we’ve seen a surge in readership.

But producing those stories costs money, and more than ever we need your help to continue our work. Our publisher, Josh O’Connor, has written in this space previously about the recent sharp decline in advertising revenue at The Daily Herald as shops and stores have closed their doors. As a result, many of our co-workers, including newsroom staff, have been furloughed or had their hours reduced.

Still, we continue to perform our public service mission of keeping our community informed. Our reporters and editors are in the field gathering the essential images and interviews necessary to tell a story that will define our era. I’m proud of their work. If you value the critical role we play, support us by becoming a subscriber today. Already a subscriber? Think about buying a subscription as a gift for someone else.

To become a digital or home delivery print subscriber, visit heraldnet.com and click on SUBSCRIBE.

Phillip O’Connor

Herald executive editor