Dear Commissioner,
Below you will find some information on what the city is doing to help residents during the coronavirus outbreak. Click
here
to learn about the availability of testing for coronavirus, including new locations for drive-thru and walk-up testing by hospitals and forthcoming health providers.
Please note:
Not everyone can be tested for coronavirus at this time due to limited test kit availability. The Mayor and Council are pushing hard for more test kits.
Here is some information that might help in making decisions about seeking care or testing.
Most people have mild symptoms and can recover at home.
Seek medical attention if you develop these emergency warning signs for coronavirus which include*:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus or think you need to be tested, call your doctor before visiting their office, a hospital, or an urgent care clinic.
How to Get Tested
The District’s public health lab has increased capacity and is currently able to test approximately 150 patients per day. In the coming week, the lab's capacity will increase again to be able to test approximately 500 patients per day. The Mayor is encouraging hospitals and health care providers to send patient test samples to the public health lab for testing.
Below are the three priority groups for coronavirus testing:
- Hospitalized patients and health care facility workers with coronavirus symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath;
- Patients in long-term care facilities with coronavirus symptoms, patients over 65 years old with symptoms, and patients with underlying conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease) who have symptoms, and first responders with coronavirus symptoms; and
- Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms, other individuals with symptoms, health care facility worker and first responders, and individuals with mild symptoms.
- Mild symptoms are symptoms that, under ordinary circumstances, would not cause a person to seek medical attention.
|
|
Testing sites
with access to walk-up/drive-thru t
esting:
- Kaiser Permanente has established a walk-up/drive-thru coronavirus testing site in in Capitol Hill located at 700 2nd Street, NE.
- Referral needed? Yes. All Kaiser Permanente testing sites are for their members and require a doctor’s order and an appointment.
e-Visits
- The Medstar Health e-Visit service is a faster, easier way to see a medical provider for basic express care needs.
- The service is a virtual/video visit with a medical provider offering consultation, diagnosis, treatment, and even prescriptions when appropriate. MedStar Health e-Visit is available 24/7 and is open to anyone in the MedStar Health service area, which includes Washington, DC. This service can be accessed via the MedStar Health e-Visit app on a smartphone or tablet, or on a PC by going directly to MedStarhealth.org/eVisit. You do NOT need to be a MedStar Health patient to access an e-Visit provider. In other words, this platform is open to all residents of the District of Columbia. Based on the outcomes of the e-Visit, patients may be referred for coronavirus testing from an e-Visit provider to one of MedStar Health’s testing sites with a physician’s order.
Coming Soon
- The George Washington Hospital plans to offer a drive-thru testing system that will focus on those experiences symptoms requiring non-emergency testing. The hours for this testing site will be from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Additionally, they plan to coordinate another drive-thru in the East End in the coming weeks.
- United Medical Center
- The District of Columbia Government will be launching a drive-thru testing site on the campus of United Medical Center in the coming weeks.
- The leadership of United Medical Center has offered the use of substantial space on their campus that can be used without disruption to their operations and patient care, including emergency services. The District government will partner with a local health system to provide the clinical support. The District Government will provide testing through the District’s public health Lab.
|
|
WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY
|
|
If you do not feel well, do not take public transportation.
Weekend update
- Customers are urged to travel only if essential
- Metro has closed 19 of the system’s 91 rail stations until further notice. The closure list includes stations near the Tidal Basin to discourage anyone from using Metro to visit the cherry blossoms this year as well as other stations closed due to low ridership
- On Saturday, March 28th, and Sunday, March 29th, Metro will provide limited service between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 11 P.M. as follows:
- Metrorail: Trains will operate on all lines, serving open stations. Take note that 19 stations will remain closed - no alternate transportation provided. Customers should expect wait times of up to 30 minutes between trains
- Metrobus: Service will operate on a limited schedule only on the 26 routes listed here. Routes that are not listed will not operate. Customers should expect wait times of up to 30 minutes between buses. The hours that buses operate will vary by route but will generally align with the start and end of service on a Sunday schedule. Please be aware that bus operators may bypass stops if necessary to maintain proper social distancing aboard the vehicle. Please use the rear door of the bus only.
|
|
LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE
|
|
The federal stimulus bill provided District residents with at least $700 million less than the states. This is a cruel outrage. The DC Council and Mayor strongly oppose the proposed funding. We sent a letter to the United States Senate to voice our concerns. The Senate is treating DC like a territory, although they treat us like a state for every other funding purpose. This is unconscionable with the stories that I’m hearing from residents and business owners as we all struggle through this pandemic. We pay the highest taxes per capita - more federal income taxes than 22 states - and we have a population larger than Vermont and Wyoming. We should receive the same amount of relief from the federal government that other jurisdictions will receive.
|
|
The Mayor announced the DC Education Equity Fund to increase students’ access to the internet and digital devices as we navigate distance learning. The goal is to get laptops and internet access to all students to ensure that we can improve distance-learning as we work together to get through this coronavirus health emergency. To learn more about how the fund will support distance learning or what you can do to support it, visit
http://dcedequity.org
.
|
|
Application closes at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 31st
|
|
The Department of Employee Services (DOES) is experiencing unprecedented call volumes, resulting in longer than normal wait times. District workers are encouraged to file for Unemployment Compensation online at
http://dcnetworks.org
.
If you need help navigating the application process, DOES is also offering daily webinars as a guide to help assist applicants complete the unemployment insurance application and receive benefits more efficiently. You may also call 202- 698-7550.
|
|
HOPE VILLAGE CORONAVIRUS STATEMENT
|
|
I am deeply concerned about the health and welfare of our residents at Hope Village. Hope Village has taken some measures to help stop the spread of coronavirus during this outbreak, but more aggressive actions are needed. Hope Village currently requires residents to sleep four to six per room, dormitory-style, which allows the virus to more easily spread. Hope Village and the Federal Bureau of Prisons must immediately identify additional space either inside or outside the facility to allow for social distancing of residents.
In addition, I continue to be concerned about the ongoing housing conditions at Hope Village, which have been compounded by the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this week, residents voiced their frustrations about the facility being unclean and how these conditions have led to some residents becoming ill. One resident recently posted a video showing widespread mold in one of the bathrooms at Hope Village. No one being should have to live under those conditions.
Over the past few days, I have been working with my colleagues on the Council, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and advocates to ensure that our residents are being protected and living in a clean facility. I am calling on Hope Village and our federal partners to ensure that residents are living in a safe and clean space so they can survive this coronavirus outbreak. We are all in this together, and that means making sure that all our residents, regardless of where they live, weather this storm.
(Photo above by The Washington Informer)
|
|
The DC Medical Reserve Corps is looking for volunteers to assist in the community response to coronavirus. Volunteers can complete the on-line registration form here:
http://dchealth.dc.gov/mrc
.
|
|
MESSAGE FROM BOARD OF ELECTIONS
|
|
The DC Board of Elections is encouraging residents to vote by mail for the primary election on June 2 and Ward 2 special election on June 16. On June 2, twenty voting centers will be open across the city. Early Voting will begin May 22. On June 16, two-vote centers will open. Residents should avoid in-person voting if possible, by requesting a mail-in ballot here
https://vote4dc.com/
|
|
NEED TO REACH ME OR A MEMBER OF MY TEAM?
|
|
My office is teleworking, but still available to you. Connect with me and my staff via phone or email. Please call my personal office at (202) 724-8174, committee office at (202) 741-8593 or email any of my team members.
|
|
PERSONAL OFFICE STAFF
COMMITTEE OFFICE STAFF
|
|
Let's stay connected.
Robert
|
|
Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember, At-Large | Council of the District of Columbia
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
