Coronavirus: DC Residents Must Self-Quarantine After Traveling

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a mayor's order Friday requiring District residents to self-quarantine when they return home after traveling to high-risk areas. These include places around the U.S. where the number of coronavirus cases are increasing. The order will go into effect on Monday.

"We know that there are places where people are not being as cautious or making the sacrifices that we're making here in D.C.," Bowser said, in a Friday morning press briefing. "Unfortunately, when people travel in and out of D.C. from these places, that can put our community's health at risk."

The mayor's order will require people to self-quarantine after non-essential travel to high risk areas for two weeks.

"Beginning on July 27, anyone that's coming into Washington, D.C., from a high-risk area who is not traveling for essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days," Bowser said.

D.C. Department of Health will be posting a list of high-risk areas on its coronavirus website every two weeks beginning Monday. The order does not apply to individuals traveling back and forth from Maryland or Virginia.

"Additionally, if people coming to Washington from a high-risk area because they are returning home after performing an essential duty or because they are coming here to perform an essential duty, in other words, if they are essential travelers, we still ask them to be more vigilant," Bowser said. "They should only leave home or where they are staying to perform the essential activities related to their travel."

When asked for an example of an essential traveler, the mayor mentioned members of Congress returning to D.C. from their home districts. In addition, players for the Washington Nationals have been issued a wavier because their traveling is considered an essential duty for their work. Both the players and politicians are expected to be vigilant in their travels to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

For D.C. colleges and universities, Bowser said she and health officials have been in communication with the schools about their reopening plans, and she will be sending a letter today to university presidents providing further guidance.

"The letter clarifies that students arriving from high-risk areas will also be required to self-quarantine on their campus or in their off-campus housing," Bowser said.

In addition to the mayor's order, Bowser announced that she will be monitoring certain activities to see if it will necessary to "dial them back" in order to lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus. These activities, which are allowed in the first two phases of the District's phased reopening, include personal services, indoor dining, the 50-person limit on gatherings, recreational sports, and elective medical procedures.

Community spread is one of the metrics the D.C. Health monitors to determine when it will be safe for the District to enter the next phase of its phased reopening. In order to move forward, the District must see a sustained decrease in community spread over 14 consecutive days.

Recent data shows an increase in community spread in the District, and D.C. Health recognized that it needs to increase the reporting lag time by four days. For this reason, it has paused the community spread count on Friday as it makes these adjustments.

D.C. Health reported no new deaths due to COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus, on Friday. The total number of deaths in the District due to COVID-19 stands at 581.

D.C. Health also confirmed 78 new positive cases of COVID-19 Friday, nearly double the 42 reported on Thursday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to 11,649.

On Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a mayor's order mandating that all District residents wear face masks when they go out in public, with some exceptions. She also signed an order extending the coronavirus public health emergency that was due to expire on Friday through Oct. 9.

According to D.C. Health, 162,021 COVID-19 tests have been administered in the District, 115,353 D.C. residents have been tested, and 9,582 have been cleared from isolation.

The District currently has 79 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 178 in-use ventilators and 21 COVID-19 positive ICU patients.

Globally, more than 15.5 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 634,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday morning. In the United States, more than 4 million people have been infected and over 144,000 people have died from COVID-19.

COVID-19 Cases By Age And Gender

Total of Positive 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

RELATED:

• DC Coronavirus Update: 1 New Death; 42 Additional Cases
• DC Mayor Mandates Masks For All District Residents In Public
• DC Coronavirus Update: No New Deaths; 102 Additional Cases
• DC Coronavirus Update: 1 New Death; 88 Additional Cases
• DC Mayor Calls For Equitable Coronavirus Funding From Congress
• DC Coronavirus Update: 3 New Deaths; 50 Additional Cases
• DC Mayor To Extend Coronavirus Public Health Emergency To October