DC Coronavirus Restrictions May Not Change Until November
WASHINGTON, DC — Mayor Muriel Bowser said that restrictions put place due to the coronavirus pandemic may not be lifted until November. That's when students in D.C. Public Schools would be heading back to their classrooms for the start of their second term.
"We all as a city need to be focused on getting kids back to school Nov. 9," Bowser said, during a Friday morning press briefing. "We shouldn't expect life to go back to normal until kids are back in school."
DCPS began the first term of the 2020-21 academic year on Aug. 31, with students staying home and learning virtually.
Bowser acknowledged the number of new coronavirus cases in the District reported by the D.C. Department of Health seems to be plateauing.
"Plateauing is not a good thing, especially if we can't attribute new cases to other quarantine cases, so our health department warns us," she said. "I think it is a good thing that we don't see new cases in the hundreds, but we still see too many new cases."
D.C. Health confirmed 51 additional positive cases of COVID-19, the virus associated with the new coronavirus, on Friday. That's slightly less than the 58 new cases reported on Thursday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to 14,186.
D.C. Health reported two new deaths due to COVID-19 on Friday. The deaths are described as a 72-year-old man and an 85-year-old man. The total number of deaths in the District due to COVID-19 stands at 611.
According to D.C. Health, 303,351 coronavirus tests have been administered in the District, 184,919 residents have been tested, and 11,297 have been cleared from isolation.
The District currently has 81 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 184 in-use ventilators out of a total of 440 available ventilators. Also, there are 23 COVID-19-positive ICU patients.
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Globally, more than 26.3 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 869,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday morning. In the United States, more than 6.1 million people have been infected and over 186,000 people have died from COVID-19.
Total of Positive COVID-19 Cases By Age and Gender
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
