Bowser: Demand For COVID-19 Vaccine Remains High In DC
WASHINGTON, DC — Mayor Muriel Bowser is looking forward to working with the new Biden administration to figure out how the District can secure more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"We know that demand in D.C. is very high," Bowser said. "We know too from our sister cities around the country that they too are experiencing high demand for the vaccine and scarcity of vaccine. So we will continue to advocate for more doses so that we can protect more people in Washington, D.C. more quickly."
As of last Saturday, 62,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered to the District. In total, 41,053 doses have already been administered, with an additional 6,540 doses arriving this week.
"The numbers make it clear that we're getting the doses out," Bowser said. "Our systems to get them out are working, but we simply don't have enough vaccine to meet the demand in our city."
Next week, the District expects to receive 8,775 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 5,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Going forward, the D.C. Health will be releasing vaccination appointments at 9 a.m. every Thursday to eligible residents living in priority ZIP codes. The priority ZIP codes were determined by the areas of the city where residents are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Priority ZIP codes cover most of Wards 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8, and include: 20001, 20002, 20009, 20010, 20011, 20012, 20015, 20017, 20018, 20019, 20020, 20030, 20032, 20039, 20040, 20056, 20059, 20060, 20064, 20223, 20242, 20260, 20306, 20317, 20340, 20373, 20375, 20422, 20441, 20509, 20542, and 20593.
For all D.C. residents, including those not living in the priority ZIP codes, vaccination appointments will become available at 9 a.m. every Friday.
Beginning the week of Jan. 25, in-person staff, including teachers, at D.C. Public Schools and D.C. Public Charter Schools will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Eligible DCPS staff will receive guidance on how to schedule their appointments. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education will provide guidance to DCPCS on their vaccination program.
D.C. Health confirmed 141 additional positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. That's up from the 226 new cases reported on Wednesday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to date to 34,403.
D.C. Health also confirmed one new death in the District due to COVID-19. The death is described as a 97-year-old woman.
The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the D.C. now stands at 864.
D.C. Health reported that 1,031,692 tests for COVID-19 have been administered in the District. To date, 388,202 residents have been tested and 24,251 have been cleared from isolation.
The District currently has 63 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 202 in-use ventilators and 238 available. Also, there are 67 COVID-19-positive ICU patients.
At 5 a.m. on Friday, Bowser's pause on activities to help stem the spread of COVID-19, will expire. The mayor originally instituted the pause last month for the holiday season and extended it through the inauguration.
Once the pause expires, restaurants in the District will be able to offer indoor dining at 25 percent capacity with no more that 250 people, whichever is the smaller number. Further guidance on other paused activities is forthcoming, Bowser said, during a Thursday afternoon press conference.
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Globally, more than 97.1 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 2 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday morning. In the United States, more than 24.4 million people have been infected and over 407,000 people have died from COVID-19.
Total of Positive COVID-19 Cases By Age and Gender
Total of Positive COVID-19 Deaths By Gender
Total of Positive COVID-19 Deaths By Age
Total COVID-19 Cases By Ward
Total COVID-19 Deaths By Ward
Total of Positive COVID-19 Cases By Race
Total of Positive COVID-19 Deaths By Race
District residents should take the following actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
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This article originally appeared on the Washington DC Patch
