DC Residents Warned To Keep Social Distancing, Wear Face Masks

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C health officials are warning District residents that they need to continue practicing social distancing, wearing face masks, restricting their travel, and limiting their interaction with groups of people in order to stem the spread of COVID-19, the disease associated with the new coronavirus.

Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the D.C. Department of Health, shared data Monday the Contact Tracing Taskforce had gathered over the last several weeks from interviews with people newly diagnosed with COVID-19.

During the two-week period of exposure before their diagnosis, 90 percent of the individuals interviewed said they had attended a social event of less than 50 people, which is the current limit in phase two of the District's reopening plan.

"Of the 145 folks who reported attending a large event of five or more people, they talked about going to places of worship, cookouts, parties, meetings, and the like," Nesbitt said.

Sixty percent of those people said the events the attended were indoors, which is not what D.C. Health recommends.

"The thing that's key here is that the majority of people said that social distancing was not adhered to," Nesbitt said. "Sixty-two percent of folks said, 'We weren't keeping six feet apart. People didn't have their masks on all of the time.'"

Of the 971 COVID-19 cases created between July 31 and Aug. 13, 102 individuals reported they had taken some form of domestic or international travel during their exposure period. This included traveling a plane (71 percent), ride share (33.3 percent), public transportation (6.7 percent), shared van/shuttle (8.9 percent), or train/commuter rail (4.4 percent).

Nesbitt shared the following guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Even mild symptoms can be COVID-19. People are encouraged to stay home if they aren't feeling well and should contact their health care provider to see if testing is warranted.
• You can infect people before symptoms start. If you are exposed to a person with COVID-19, it's important that you stay home so that you do not infect others, including your friends and family.
• Young people can end up hospitalized and may become very sick.
• People in small groups can spread the virus to each other. People should continue to wear masks and maintain social distance even in small groups.
• Travel is a risk. It can lead to spreading the virus to your family and friends, as well as other travelers.
• Even with family, it is important to wear face masks and maintain social distance.

Starting Aug. 20, D.C. Health will implement its home visiting program, in which health officials will visit individuals who did not complete an interview or were unable to be reached by members of the Contact Tracing Taskforce by phone after one to two days.

"We will also prioritize individuals who are flagged either by community-based providers or our health center providers as those who are most at risk for not being able to isolate successfully in their homes," Nesbitt said on Monday. During the visits, investigators will assess the patient's need for additional assistance, such as alternative housing, food, and/or medication.

D.C. Health also wants to expand its Contact Trace Force to 450. Mayor Muriel Bowser shared a video on her official Twitter account Tuesday about the District's effort to hire 175 addition contact tracers to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

We'll be hiring an additional 175 contact tracers to help us fight coronavirus (COVID-19) in the District.

Interested? Watch the video below to learn more about the DC Contact Trace Force. pic.twitter.com/kGvR3euyzQ
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 18, 2020

D.C. Health confirmed 52 additional positive cases of COVID-19, the virus associated with the new coronavirus, on Tuesday. That's down slightly from the 53 new cases reported on Monday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to 13,325.

D.C. Health reported two new deaths due to COVID-19 on Tuesday, a 67-year-old woman and a 86-year-old woman. The total number of deaths in the District due to COVID-19 stands at 599.

According to D.C. Health, 249,478 coronavirus tests have been administered in the District, 159,943 residents have been tested, and 10,595 have been cleared from isolation.

The District currently has 81 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 161 in-use ventilators out of a total of 440 available ventilators. Also, there are 27 COVID-19-positive ICU patients.

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The positivity rate as of Tuesday among District residents is 3.5 percent. This is one of the metrics health officials monitor to determine if the city is ready to move into the next phase of its phased reopening.

Globally, more than 21.9 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 774,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday morning. In the United States, more than 5.4 million people have been infected and over 170,000 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.

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