DC State Of Emergency Declared After 10 Coronavirus Cases: Mayor

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency and a public health emergency on Wednesday in response to the growing number of coronavirus cases in the District.

The Democrat said the emergency declarations would give her the authority to implement measures that will help stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

"While this is an administrative action, largely, it will give me more authority to implement and fund the measures that we need to monitor and respond to COVID-19 in our community," Bowser said at a news conference Wednesday. "Specifically, this authority will give me — and not limited to this — the ability to request federal disaster assistance, mandate medical quarantining of any person of which there is a probable cause to believe he or she is infected with a communicable disease, and the ability to make price gouging illegal."

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The new coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and has since infected more than 124,000 people worldwide. Authorities have reported 1,100 confirmed cases and 32 deaths in the United States.

Speaking at the news conference Wednesday, Bowser announced six new coronavirus cases in D.C., which brings the total to 10 confirmed cases.

The six newest COVID-19 patients have been identified as a 59-year-old man with a travel history to a level 3 country, a 58-year-old woman who attended a conference where a positive case has been identified, a 39-year-old man with a travel history to a level 3 country, a 24-year-old with no known exposure, a 59-year-old woman who had contact with a previously identified case in D.C., and a 69 year-old woman with no known exposure.

"Those additional cases indicate to us, because of the nature of the new individuals who have been identified, that we have person-to-person transmission occurring in the District of Columbia, as well as at least two individuals whose reasons for COVID-19 has yet to be identified," Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the director of D.C.'s Department of Health, said.

D.C. officials anticipate more cases, according to Nesbitt.

SEE ALSO: Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases

In an effort to contain COVID-19, D.C. health officials are recommending that non-essential mass gatherings, such as conferences and conventions, be postponed or canceled until March 31. Officials define mass gatherings as events where 1,000 or more people convene in one location.

Organizers of smaller social and cultural gatherings should also consider rescheduling or canceling their events.

While this is only a recommendation, Nesbitt says it "should be taken very seriously" since this is an "evolving situation."

"Our duty now as citizens is to try to contain the spread of germs and this virus in our communities while maintaining our essential services and taking care of all of our family and friends and making sure that they, too, are gathering the info that they need to be safe," Bowser said.

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