Mayor Muriel Bowser
After the number of cases of Coronavirus doubled in Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday declared emergency in the state. Meanwhile, the officials officials recommended gatherings of 1,000 or more people be postponed or canceled. The moves come after the number of presumptive cases in the U.S. capital rose from four to 10.
The declarations open the door for Bowser to request federal disaster assistance, mandate quarantining for any person for which there is a "probable cause" to believe they are infected with COVID-19 and the ability to make price gouging illegal.
"Those additional cases indicate to us, because of the nature of the 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 reason for COVID-19 has yet to be identified," Dr. Laquandra Nesbitt, the director of the D.C. Department of Health, told reporters at a news briefing alongside Bowser and other officials.
More than 10 states have declared states of emergency amid the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. There have been 938 confirmed cases of the disease in the country and 29 deaths.
Meanwhile, the organizers of the popular Cherry Blossom festival, which was scheduled to begin March 20 and traditionally attracts throngs of visitors to the nation's capital, announced that several events would be postponed.
"It is a difficult decision and one that we do not take lightly, said Diana Mayhew, President and CEO of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
The announcements have massive implications for Washington's many museums, events and performance venues. Tourists still arrived at the U.S. Capitol, but an official unauthorized to discuss the situation and speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that tours would soon be shut down.
The city's St. Patrick's Day parade has been postponed, and Eileen Andrews, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, said they were assessing the city's recommendation.
The popular 9:30 Club concert venue announced it was cancelling all concerts through the end of the month. Lauren Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Smithsonian network of museums, said in an email, "As of now the Smithsonian is continuing to welcome guests to our museums and scheduled public programs as normal."
The District of Columbia's tally of positive infection cases doesn't include people who may have been infected in Washington but live in nearby northern Virginia or southern Maryland. For example, Loudoun County, Virginia, has reported a positive case in a local resident who is a Christ Church congregant.
Some Washington schools have closed for one day to enable deep cleaning. The district's public school system on Wednesday announced it would move a planned professional development day for teachers and staff from March 20 up to Monday to focus the day on virus-related training and preparation.
About a half-dozen members of Congress are on a 14-day self-quarantine after coming in contact with potentially infected people. On Tuesday, Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer announced he would self-quarantine after dining 10 days ago with a person who tested positive for the virus.
(With inputs from AP)
