Note: Pending test result numbers are no longer listed.

From the Mayor’s office:

“As of 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, the District’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) data includes six new positive cases, bringing the District’s overall positive case total to 10 individuals.

· 59-year-old male

Contact tracing underway – History of travel to level-3 country

· 58-year-old female

Contact tracing underway – Attended conference in the District where positive cases were identified

· 39-year-old male

Contact tracing underway – History of travel to level-3 country

· 24-year-old male

Contact tracing underway – No known exposure

· 59-year-old female

Contact tracing underway – Contact with a previously identified case in the District

· 69-year-old female

Contact tracing underway – No known exposure

Going forward, the District will disseminate the number of positive cases, as third-party labs outside of the DC Public Health Laboratory have no obligation to report negative results.”

From Alert DC:

Mayor Muriel Bowser declared both a state of emergency and a public health emergency, effective immediately. The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) will activate the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) to provide additional coordination for the District’s COVID-19 response.

Earlier today, DC Health recommended that non-essential mass gatherings, including conferences and conventions, be postponed or canceled through March 31. As a result, the District is pulling permits for two events in March – the Rock and Roll DC Marathon and Half Marathon and 5K and the Scope It Out 5K.

Additionally, DC Public Schools announced that they have moved their teacher Professional Development day from Friday, March 20 to Monday, March 16 to prepare for the possibility of distance learning.”



Photo by PoPville flickr user small craft

From Events DC:

“Last night, Events DC received additional information regarding the recent AIPAC conference that was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Specifically, we learned that two more individuals that attended the conference from Ohio and Toronto respectively, have tested positive for COVID-19. Coupled with the cases from New York (two individuals) and Los Angeles (one individual), this brings the total reported number of AIPAC conference attendees that have tested positive for COVID-19 to five.

Out of an abundance of caution to its staff, their families and customers, Events DC will suspend operations and services at the end of business on March 13th until March 31st. (more…)



Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard

From the Mayor’s Office:

“DC Health recommends that non-essential mass gatherings, including conferences and conventions, be postponed or cancelled. Mass gatherings are defined as events where 1,000 or more people congregate in a specific location. We also recommend that any social, cultural, or entertainment events where large crowds are anticipated be reconsidered by the organizer. This recommendation is in effect through March 31.”



Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC

Back to the polls we go! A reader is curious about how many people/companies have started teleworking instead of coming into the office. For those who feel comfortable please let us know which companies are allowing people to work from home/telework in the comments. If you don’t feel comfortable putting it in the comments yourself you can email me at [email protected] and I can add the name for you. I’m curious if your company is government or private? Federal, state or local if government? If private, about how many people work for your company?

For those who are teleworking – where are you teleworking? Home? Coffee shop? Elsewhere?

But for broader numbers – to the polls:


Per our earlier talk – from DCPS:

“Good morning DCPS Community,

DC Public Schools (DCPS) continues to prioritize student and staff safety as the region addresses the coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of DCPS’ emergency response planning, there will be a shift in school schedules for the week of March 16. This announcement affects both teachers and students.

The scheduled Professional Development Day for teachers on Friday, March 20 will now take place on Monday, March 16.

Schools will be closed for students on Monday, March 16, with classes resuming for the rest of the week. Students will no longer have the day off on Friday, March 20.

DC Health continues to report no widespread community transmission of COVID-19, and prevention remains our priority. However, this situation remains dynamic, and preparation is critical every day. With this in mind, DCPS is accelerating our planning timeline with teachers and school leaders to ensure that our educators are fully equipped to support distance learning as needed. (more…)


Coronavirus Data:

“Data – Last Update: March 10, 2020 at 5:30 pm

Number of patients under investigation for COVID-19: 39
Number of negative results: 20
Number of pending results: 15
Number of presumptive positive results: 4″

Now that some of the universities and private schools are announcing early/extended closures near their spring breaks – Do you thinks D.C. public and charter schools will/should continue to stay open?



815 V Street, NW

From the 9:30 Club/I.M.P.:

“Dear Music Lover,

Simply put, our venues exist to enhance people’s enjoyment of life. So, it’s natural that the wellbeing of our staff, patrons, artists and the community are always at the forefront of our thinking. Like other organizations, we’re taking additional precautions, such as adding supplementary cleaning staff and providing hand sanitizer stations in addition to the ever-present soap in the restrooms.

By now, everyone knows to cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze, wash their hands with soap for 20 seconds, avoid touching their faces – but, as always, if anyone isn’t feeling well, the responsible thing to do is to stay home. This goes for everyone.

As of now, all shows are going on as planned and attendance has not been affected. (more…)


From the Mayor’s Office:

“As of 9:45 pm on Monday, March 9, the District’s Coronavirus data includes three new confirmed cases:

39 year old male

Contact tracing underway, attended Christ Church

77 year old male

Contact tracing underway, attended Biogen

79 year old male

Contact tracing underway

These three presumptive positive cases were tested by the District’s Public Health Laboratory.

Comprehensive Coronavirus Data for the District of Columbia: (more…)



3115 P Street, NW via Georgetown Presbyterian Church

Ed. Note: Georgetown Presbyterian Church is not to be confused with Christ Church Georgetown where “DC Health is recommending a temporarily pause of services at Christ Church Georgetown.”

A reader reports: “A family member was at this service this morning where another congregate stood up, during service, and declared that they had been exposed to COVID-19. This is the response from the church.”

“A Note about COVID-19 from GPC

Dear Church Family,

This morning during worship, a member of GPC publicly stated that she had been exposed to COVID-19. She was seated in the sanctuary and adjacent to a number of people.

First, If you are feeling ill, or suspect you may have been in contact with somebody who has contracted COVID-19, please contact a healthcare professional immediately and refrain from coming to any church events, or any gatherings with large groups.

Here’s what we know. We have twice confirmed that this member attended the Conservative Political Action Conference at National Harbor, where public reporting stated that an attendee has since been tested positive for COVID-19. She has no knowledge of any direct contact with a person showing signs of illness. Like many CPAC attendees, she greeted and shook hands with many others, including ACU Chair Matt Schlapp, who is known to have been in contact with the person who has become ill. Currently she is not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or any other illness, and bears a similar risk of having contracted COVID-19 as many other attendees. (more…)



Photo by PoPville flickr user John Sonderman

From a press release:

“On Saturday, March 8, the DC Department of Health (DC Health) was notified by the State of Maryland of an individual who stayed in Washington, DC before presenting himself to a Maryland hospital and then tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) by the State of Maryland. DC Health is conducting contact tracing of the individual, known as Patient 2 because he is the second confirmed DC case, and individuals of close contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are classifying this as a DC case because the individual stayed in DC for one night when he arrived in the country from Nigeria.

Based on DC Health’s investigation, three individuals who stayed in the same residence as Patient 2 were tested for COVID-19 today, and all three tests yielded negative results. One of these close contacts who tested negative is a staff member at School Without Walls High School. She has and continues to be asymptomatic. To give the school’s administration adequate time to communicate with staff and families, School Without Walls will be closed on Monday, March 9. Out of an abundance of caution, the school will also receive a deep cleaning before students and staff return.”

From District of Columbia International School (DCI): (more…)


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