The District’s stay-at-home order has been extended until June 8.
The order was orginally set to expire May 15, although Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) previously indicated that the date was likely to be extended. However, Bowser said if the District hits the needed metrics she could lift the order prior to June 8.
The District confirmed 99 new cases on Tuesday, May 12, bringing the total to 6,584 cases in DC. 14 new deaths were also reported, bringing the total number to 350 District residents lost due to COVID-19.
At her Situational Update, held May 13, Bowser reported that the District is in a good place in terms of hospital capcity and testing, but that they still need to see a decline in reported cases and transmissions. According to the metrics set by the District, hospitals should operate at 80 percent or below of capacity for 14 days or more, and the District has to be able to test symptomatic, at-risk, essential workers and close contacts of known cases. Those benchmarks have been acheived, Bowser said.
On Monday, Bowser showcased the conversion of the Walter E. Convention Center into a 437-bed alternate care site to support the District’s coronavirus (COVID-19) medical surge response.
However, the District has not yet marked a 14-day decline in reported cases or transmissions, nor can it currently provide contact tracing for known cases and their contacts within one or two days. The District is in the process of hiring a 200-member Contact Tracing Team, Bowser said, noting that 17 new members were onboarded on Monday.
Acknowledging that the District does not yet have the capacity to test anyone who wants to be tested, Bowser nonetheless said that testing was available for anyone who needs it but added that not everyone who needs it is getting it.
“We don’t think all of the people who meet those four criteria are getting tested,” Bowser said, adding that the District is contiually adding sites and encouraging medical care providers to inform priority groups of the opportunity to be tested.
Learn more about the District COVID-19 reponse by visiting coronavirus.dc.gov
