Fewer DC Residents Getting Tested For Coronavirus

WASHINGTON, DC — Now that D.C. has entered Phase One of its phased reopening, fewer District residents are being tested for the new coronavirus. During a Wednesday morning press briefing, Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned the D.C. Department of Health has seen a drop-off in testing in recent days.

"None of us expected that we would have large protest activity on the day after our stay-at-home order was lifted, but part of reopening is the expectation that more people are going to get tested and need to be tested," Bowser said. "And so we are continuing to work on making those tests widely spread across the city."

On Monday, D.C. Health opened a new walk-up testing facility downtown at F Street, N.W., between 4th and 5th Streets, N.W. The mayor also revealed plans to have testing available at fire stations in the District. Some EMS personnel have already been trained in administering the tests.

As the city moves forward through its phased reopening, D.C. officials have been preparing for an expected medical surge, according to Bowser.

"We didn't see a high level of surge in Phase Zero that outpaced our supply of beds and ICU ventilators," she said. "We continue to have all of that surge capacity in place. I think our best thinking suggests that anything that happened over the weekend, we may not see for two to three weeks."

There were 139 additional cases of the new coronavirus in Washington, D.C., reported on Wednesday. That's over four times the 29 cases reported on Tuesday. This brings the total number of cases in the District to 9,016.

Three additional deaths were reported, according to data released Wednesday morning. This brings to total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the District to 473.

The three new deaths were described as:

• 67-year-old male
• 68-year-old male
• 91-year-old female

According to D.C. Health, 49,562 COVID-19 tests have been administered in the District and 40,751 D.C. residents have been tested.

The District currently has 111 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 103 ICU patients and 103 COVID-19 positive ICU patients.

So far in Phase 1, the District has reached three days of sustained decrease in community spread, which is detailed in this chart:

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Globally, more than 6.4 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 381,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday morning. In the United States, more than 1.8 million people have been infected and over 106,000 people have diedfrom COVID-19.

Positive 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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