All gatherings of more than 250 people in Spokane County will be canceled for the next 30 days, beginning 5 p.m. Friday. The announcement applies to all large gatherings, including sporting events, conferences, concerts and places of worship.

Bob Lutz, health officer for the Spokane Regional Health District, announced the order on Friday, using a bell curve to explain why canceling events now can help prevent the widespread number of cases of COVID-19 in the community.

If health officials do nothing, “you have a very, very rapid acceleration of cases as we are seeing internationally, nationally and locally,” Lutz said.

Thursday, Washington state had nearly 100 more confirmed cases than on Wednesday, and that number is expected to continue to climb. Currently there are 457 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the state, with 31 deaths attributed to the respiratory disease.

If health officials do act to curb the spread of COVID-19, they can lower the bell curve significantly, Lutz said.

“That’s our effort,” he said, pointing to the lower curve. “What we want to do is both slow the onset of illness and slow the impact and lessen the impact.”

So far, Spokane County has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, but health officials believe that there are cases in the community. Due to limited testing kits available statewide and nationwide, there are guidelines health care providers must follow in order to test people as well as a lag in test results getting back to county health districts.

Lutz likened preparing for COVID-19 in Spokane County to preparing for a flood, before it comes.

“If you know you have heavy rains all at once, the system will be quickly overwhelmed and you may not be able to recover, if however, you have the same amount of rain that slowly falls over a period of time, then the system can adapt,” Lutz said. “We have to be able to adapt.”

Ensuring the region’s health care system can care for those with COVID-19 who need to be hospitalized, which is the minority of those who become ill with the disease, is Lutz’ top priority.

“We are still ahead of the pandemic in our community, and knowing that by increasing preparedness actions now, we can slow the progression of COVID-19,” Lutz said.

Beyond canceling events, Lutz also encouraged social distancing in all gatherings, leaving at least six feet of space between people, in order to reduce person-to-person spread.

While Lutz is not recommending that schools be closed, although he did cancel large assemblies, performances and sporting events related to schools and other activities that bring students into close contact with one another.

The ramifications of school closures would be “significant,” Lutz said, noting the disease has not had serious effect on young people and that short-term school closures have not been shown to be as effective at flattening the infection curve as measures such as “social distancing.”

Lutz added that schools also should be looking at how to modify how they provide meals for their students, “remembering that for many of our students, school meals are their primary source of nutrition.”

Additionally, superintendents and administrators should consider providing no-cost child care to families and to support students experiencing homelessness, Lutz said.

To limit the spread of disease, event cancellations and closures of services have been increasing. Here’s a local list that is being continually updated.

“This is an evolving situation,” Lutz said.

He encouraged people to stay home if ill and to have a plan if they have children in schools in case there is a need for school closures.

Spokesman-Review reporters Adam Shanks and Jim Allen contributed to this story.

This story is developing.