DC Health Director, Fire Chief Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

WASHINGTON, DC — Chief John Donnelly of D.C. Fire and EMS and Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of D.C. Department of Health, joined other front-line public health officials Thursday in receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. They were vaccinated during a ceremony at the Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center.

"We're all tired of COVID, right? But we can't get too tired of it because we have to crust it," Mayor Muriel Bowser said, during the ceremony. "We're going to need the next few months to do that, and part of that is everybody getting a vaccine when it's their turn."

The first individuals to receive the vaccine during Phase 1a of the District's phased vaccination plan will be health care workers and first responders. These account for about 80,000 people.

"I think the most important thing for me to say is that I believe in the vaccine," Donnelly said, during the ceremony. "That's why I'm getting it today."

Earlier this week, the D.C. Council confirmed Donnelly's nomination to lead DC FEMS, following the retirement in September of former Chief Gregory M. Dean.

Kaiser is one of the six medical facilities across D.C. this week to have received doses of the vaccine. It's also been tasked with vaccinating the District's first responders front line public health workers

"It's just amazing that in this first week that the COVID-19 vaccine is available nationwide that we're able to take care of our first responders who have been providing hospital care since the beginning of this pandemic, to be able to allow them to have access to a vaccine that can confer protection to our population from this disease," Nesbitt said.

D.C. has entered a partnership with Maryland and Virginia, in which the neighboring states are sharing some of their vaccine doses. This will allow the District to vaccinate first responders and healthcare workers who are not D.C. residents.

"Having a vaccine is not the endgame,"Nesbitt said. "Getting vaccinated is the endgame. And so, what we are doing here today, expressing to you all we believe to be a safe and effective vaccine that when it's your turn to get vaccinated, we want you to have confidence in the vaccine."

#GetVaccinatedDC https://t.co/TqCsCGooZ9
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 17, 2020

In order to demonstrate her confidence in the safety of the vaccine, Nesbitt joined Donnelly and a group of front line health care workers who had volunteered to be vaccinated Thursday at Kaiser.

"We're proud to partner with D.C. to bring these important vaccinations to the community," said Ruth Williams-Brinkley, president of Kaiser Permanente. "I also want to more importantly recognize the sacrifices of our health care workers, of our firefighters, and everyone working on the frontline of this pandemic."

D.C. Health confirmed 228 new positive cases of COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, on Thursday. That's down from the 263 reported on Wednesday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to date to 25,830.

D.C. Health also confirmed five new deaths in the District due to COVID-19. The deaths are described as:

• 68-year-old man
• 76-year-old woman
• 86-year-old woman
• 91-year-old woman
• 93-year-old woman

The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the D.C. remains at 725.

According to D.C. Health, 804,207 coronavirus tests have been administered in the District, 336,446 residents have been tested, and 18,582 have been cleared from isolation.

The District currently has 38 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 199 in-use ventilators and 246 available. Also, there are 80 COVID-19-positive ICU patients.

Get the latest updates on the new coronavirus in D.C. as they happen. Sign up for free news alerts and a newsletter in your Patch town.

Globally, more than 74.4 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 1.6 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday morning. In the United States, more than 17 million people have been infected and over 307,000 people have died from COVID-19.

Total of Positive COVID-19 Cases By Age and Gender

Total of Positive COVID-19 Deaths By Age

Total of Positive COVID-19 Deaths By 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.

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