D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser encourages Washingtonians to continue to adhere to D.C. Health recommendations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the nation’s capital and world. (Screenshot)
By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. Editor
mgreen@afro.com
As COVID-19 developments continue and more vaccines make their way to the nation’s capital, the novel coronavirus still plagues the world and District of Columbia. While, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser emphasized that COVID-19 is still rampant and residents should still adhere to stay-at-home orders, she said that pandemic numbers are moving in the right direction this week.
“Metrics related to COVID- we have been reporting those throughout the holiday season. You have noticed some ups and downs in those numbers. I’m pleased to say that today the daily case rate is lower than we’ve seen in several days,” Bowser explained.
According to https://coronavirus.dc.gov/data, More than 29,900 D.C. residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 797 Washingtonians lost their lives from complications from the disease.
With almost 800 lives lost and 30,000 cases in the District, the Mayor emphasized taking D.C. Health’s recommendations seriously and to answer contact tracers calls.
“When our contact tracers are reaching out to you, it’s very important that you answer the call and follow the instructions that they provide. We remain in a very critical time with this virus so following all of D.C. Health’s Guidance and Advice will continue to be important,” the Mayor said.
Bowser also said vaccines are being distributed regularly in the nation’s capital.
Almost 17,000 Washingtonians had received the COVID-19 vaccine as of Jan. 4. (Screenshot)
“We also are in the process of our vaccine distribution. We have spent, and we’re very happy to say that our system is working to get the vaccine out to our prioritized communities,” the Mayor said at her first COVID-19 press conference of the New Year.
According to the Mayor, almost 17,000 people have been recorded as vaccinated, although numbers could be larger.
“Be prepared to get the vaccine. 16,989- Almost 17,000 people have been vaccinated with their first dose. The District has received just over 40,000 doses and additional doses become available each week,” she said. “We want to point out that we have started weekly reporting of this vaccine distribution. It’s not fully activated as yet, as those numbers represent about 58 percent of our vaccinators reporting. So as we begin this process, just bear in mind, that it’s getting fully rolled out and those numbers will change again.”
