Medical

Have You Started Telework? Has your office mandated it or is it optional?

By Prince Of Petworth


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:

DC Public Schools announces Monday Closure (instead of Friday) “with classes resuming for the rest of the week”

By Prince Of Petworth

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…)

D.C. Coronavirus Data Update

By Prince Of Petworth

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?

“As of now, all shows are going on as planned”

By Prince Of Petworth


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…)

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

By Prince Of Petworth

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…)

“A congregate stood up, during service (Sunday), and declared that they had been exposed to COVID-19.”

By Prince Of Petworth


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…)

Coronavirus School Closures Update

By Prince Of Petworth


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…)

DC Department of Health: “conducting an intensive investigation to identify any exposures to COVID-19 that may have occurred at the church”

By Prince Of Petworth


31st and O Street, NW via Christ Church Georgetown

From the DC Department of Health Sunday 5:09am:

“As DC Health conducts its review of the presumptive positives of COVID-19 and consults with the CDC, it has determined an individual’s visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures. Out of an abundance of caution, DC Health is recommending a temporarily pause of services at Christ Church Georgetown. We are currently conducting an intensive investigation to identify any exposures to COVID-19 that may have occurred at the church. DC Health will reach out to potentially impacted congregants and visitors as we continue to gather to more information to ensure the health and safety of the public.”

From Christ Church Georgetown:

“Christ Church, Georgetown, is a historic and vibrant community of faith in the heart of the nation’s capital. For 200 years, the people of Christ Church have sought to be a body through which the light of Christ is seen and his work is done.”

“DC Department of Health Confirms First Coronavirus Case”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, the DC Department of Health (DC Health) announced the District’s first presumptive positive case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The person has no prior history of travel outside the United States. DC Health is coordinating closely with the health team where this person is currently being treated and all infection control protocols are being followed. While this is first case in the District, there is still no widespread community transmission and the general level of risk for residents is low. (more…)

Unconfirmed, Self Reported Covid-19 Case Reported in DC. DC Official numbers still zero confirmed cases though one result is still pending

By Prince Of Petworth

Could be something. Could be nothing. This morning a reader sent us the map above: “One self-reported positive case of COVID-19 in Scott Circle. Keep calm and wash your damn hands…as the experts say.”

Update from a reader: “I think that dot its actually the geographic center of DC… If you look at MoCo the dot is in the middle too. However, the app does show a self-reported case at 3500 block of International Place, NW (actually gives address)”

The map is from an app by HealthLynked Corp.. The reader says that the app is being used by some Georgetown graduate students to “decide where to travel. We now are being asked to report any travel (even domestic) to our Dean.” The self reported case HAS NOT been reported by DC’s official website (though that site says as of 9:43am 1 result is still pending out of 9 patients monitored by DC Health), WHO or CDC. Could be something or could be nothing. Updates if any official confirmation or negative result is released. As OP says, don’t freak out and definitely wash your hands.

12:45pm Update:

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