First Round Of COVID Vaccine Arrives In DC This Week

WASHINGTON, DC — Now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the CDC has recommended its use in the U.S., the first round of vaccines will be delivered to six hospitals in the District this week.

Health officials outlined their plans Thursday to roll out the vaccine in phases. During Phase 1A, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Howard University Hospital, The George Washington University Hospital, Children's National Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital will receive the District's initial allotment of 6,825 doses this week. They will be delivered in seven boxes of 975 doses each.

"These sites might not necessarily begin to deliver the vaccines the same day that they receive the doses," Mayor Muriel Bowser said, in a Monday morning press briefing.

The first individuals to receive the vaccine will be healthcare workers and first responders.

"We are very proud that D.C.'s bravest at Fire and EMS will be among the first in the District to receive the long-awaited COVID vaccine," Bowser said. "D.C. Health has arranged for Kaiser Permanente to deliver the vaccine to Fire and EMS members beginning this Thursday."

As of Friday, 251 FEMS members have tested positive for COVID-19 virus. Sixty-eight members are currently out due the virus and 183 have recovered and returned to work.

D.C. Department of Health confirmed 164 new positive cases of COVID-19, on Monday. That's down from the 231 reported on Sunday. This brings the District's total number of positive cases to date to 25,038.

D.C. Health also confirmed one new death in the District due to COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths in the District to 716

According to D.C. Health, 782,979 coronavirus tests have been administered in the District, 331,0993 residents have been tested, and 17,914 have been cleared from isolation.

The District currently has 61 intensive care unit beds available out of 345 total intensive care unit beds. There are currently 215 in-use ventilators and 224 available. Also, there are 63 COVID-19-positive ICU patients.

District officials provided an update Thursday on when and who will be receiving the first round of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine once the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for use.

Once the District receives its initial round of vaccine doses, healthcare providers will undergo training on how to administer the vaccine and provide information to the public about it.

The District will be providing vaccinations in phases, with the first round of recipients consisting of healthcare workers and first responders. The federal government has assured the District that it will receive enough doses to vaccinate all 85,000 of the people in the first round.

Chairman Phil Mendelson said Monday the DC Council would be approving an extension of Bowser's authority to continue the public health emergency until March 31, 2021. The mayor first declared the emergency back on March 11 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Globally, more than 72.3 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 1.6 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Monday morning. In the United States, more than 16.2 million people have been infected and over 299,000 people have died from COVID-19.

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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