Coronavirus Update: District Operations

Dear Neighbors,

There are many updates to share since my last email detailing the District's preparedness for the of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In addition to declaring a both a state of emergency and public health emergency, this morning Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that starting on Monday, March 16th, through Tuesday, March 31st, DC Public Schools (DCPS) buildings will close to students in order to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. DCPS has advanced the April Spring Break period to run from March 17th through March 23rd. On the 24th through the 31st, students will participate in distance learning plans prepared by school staff and teachers. Since the passage of my Healthy Schools Act legislation, thousands of students have gained access to free healthy meals through DCPS, and the closure of these buildings will place students who depend on those meals at risk of hunger. In response to this issue, the Chancellor will open sixteen schools on weekdays to provide free meals to students. Frustratingly, and despite the fact that we have students in our community who need access to these meals, none of the sites have been designated for Ward 3. I'm going to continue to press the Chancellor for a Ward 3-based meals site, but in the meantime I hope parents will access the other sites listed in this email.

Also starting on Monday, the 16th, the District government will operate under an agency-specific telework schedule, with the intent to continue to deliver essential services and to keep critical systems and services operating. Some government operations will be performed fully remotely, while other services will continue to be performed at public buildings, but under modified operations. My physical office will close during this time, but my staff will be teleworking and will remain accessible for residents. You may continue to email my staff or call through the main line at (202) 724-8062. Please see the updated community resources listed below:

The District's Primary Source for COVID-19 Updates- The online hub for all Mayoral, agency, and community updates on COVID-19 is: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/.

School Food Sites - DCPS will open 16 schools to serve free lunch on weekdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm beginning Monday, March 16th, through Tuesday, Mark 31st. The full list of schools are listed below:

Anacostia High School, 1601 16th St SE, Ward 8
Ballou High School, 3401 4th St SE, Ward 8
Banneker High School, 800 Euclid St NW, Ward 1
Brookland Middle School, 1150 Michigan Ave NE, Ward 5
Cardozo Education Campus, 1200 Clifton St NW, Ward 1
Columbia Heights Education Campus, 3101 16th St NW, Ward 1
Coolidge High School, 6315 5th St NW, Ward 4
Eastern High School, 1700 East Capitol St NW, Ward 6
Jefferson Middle School, 801 7th St SW, Ward 6
Kelly Miller Middle School, 301 49th St NE, Ward 7
Kimball Elementary School, 3375 Minnesota Ave SE, Ward 7
LaSalle-Backus Education Campus, 501 Riggs Rd NE, Ward 4
McKinley Ed Campus, 151 T St NE, Ward 5
Stanton Elementary, 2701 Naylor Rd SE, Ward 8
Walker-Jones Education Campus, 1125 New Jersey Ave NW, Ward 6
Woodson High School, 540 55th St NE, Ward 7

Please also see this great resource guide put together by the DC Food Project on how to help the community combat food insecurity during this public health emergency: Emergency Food Access.

Community Volunteer Efforts - If you are well and looking for ways to help your neighbors in need during the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a fantastic neighborhood volunteering effort being coordinated by Allison McGill. Volunteers will run errands for those who should not leave their home (such as the elderly, vulnerable populations, and those with preexisting conditions). The volunteer coordinator has emphasized that there will be not be direct contact with the person in need.

To volunteer, please see the Serve Your Neighbor sign-up sheet here: Here.
If you are in need of help with errands in order to limit your public exposure, please email Allison at [email protected] and she will connect you with her network of volunteers.

Jury Duty - The DC Courts currently remain fully operational and have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting services in high public contact areas of the court campus. The Courts have also increased the number of hand sanitizers in public offices at court buildings.

Residents summoned for jury duty who are unable to serve on the summons date can use the eJuror system on the DC Courts’ website or contact the Jurors Office at 202/879-4604 to request a deferral.

Support Local Businesses - While each business owner in the District will make their own independent safety assessments and operating decisions over the next few weeks, this will undoubtedly be a difficult time for our local business community. However, there are ways to support businesses and local restaurants during the public health emergency. The Washington City Paper, for example, has published a helpful article on how to specifically patronize restaurants while not dining out. Please follow our Main Streets programs on social media for updates on local businesses in Ward 3:

Pets and Preparedness - The Humane Rescue Alliance is working to ensure that their staff, adoptable animals, and facilities are ready to safely operate during the current public health emergency. President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine has written a message to the community detailing how pet owners may prepare for pet care during the COVID-19 outbreak and answers frequently asked questions about virus transmission and animals. Please see the resources below:

Online Library Resources - While all public libraries will be officially closed from March 16th through March 31st, our library system has already curated a massive free online catalog of more than 15 million movies, eBooks, music, and learning resources. To explore these options during the closure, please see: DCPL goDigital.

On Tuesday, the Council will vote on emergency legislation putting in place many measures to respond to the effects of the pandemic. I will share the details of that legislation when it is finalized and passed by the Council. As I mentioned previously, I will continue to provide updates to the community as they become available and, in the meantime, please take precautions and stay safe.

Regards,

Mary