March 2020

Coronavirus Update: Modified Agency Operations

Dear Neighbors,

Today marks the first day of the District's modified government operations
and school closures in order to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19.
To enhance this effort, DC Health has announced new prohibitions on mass
gatherings in restaurants and nightclubs in the District, and has [1]issued
seating guidelines for local businesses that will remain open during the
outbreak. However, it's important to note that this is a very fluid
situation and new rules could include closing down bars, restaurants, and
other venues. Even for those that remain open now, DC Health is
recommending that they do deliveries or grab-and-go operations. Some
businesses might on their own opt to close temporarily or modify services
in order to protect the health of their patrons and employees. And it is
important that even while we follow these new restrictions that we continue
to [2]support our local business community during and after this public
health emergency. These are difficult decisions for our businesses, and as
time progresses we may see more closures and changes. Harris Teeter, for
example, has just announced that they will be closing stores two hours
early (at 9:00 pm) in order to thoroughly clean and restock. It should be
noted, however; that all major utilities have indicated that they will not
disconnect services during the emergency period.

During the push for social distancing, teleworking, and non-essential
closures, [3]WMATA will operate on a modified schedule and will maintain
normal operating hours with modified train service (trains will run every
12 minutes Monday-Saturday, and every 15 minutes on Sunday). On weekdays,
buses will operate on a [4]Saturday Supplemental Schedule.

Soon, I will provide another update detailing the final provisions of
emergency legislation that the Council will vote on tomorrow in order to
protect residents and support the executive's public safety efforts during
the current emergency. But, in the meantime, will share the current
modified operations plan for District agencies below:

Operations & City Services

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) - DDOT remains open, with
most DDOT staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. Programs that will
maintain normal operations are:
* DC Circulator will operate its regular schedule
* DC Streetcar will operate its regular schedule
* Capital Bikeshare will continue regular operations
* DDOT will continue reversible lane operations during rush hour
* Construction work will continue in the District’s public space
* In-person public space permits are still available at 1100 4th Street,
SW
* Permit distribution will continue through DDOT’s Public Space
Regulation Division

Department of Public Works (DPW) - DPW remains open, with a limited number
of DPW staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. Street sweeping, and
thus street sweeping ticketing, is suspended at this time. DPW employees
have been provided with gloves and masks during operations. Programs that
will maintain normal operations are:
* Trash collection
* Parking ticket issuance
* Towing and booting

Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) - DCRA remains open,
with most DCRA staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. Programs that
will maintain normal operations are:
* In-person licensing will continue at 1100 4th Street, SW; however,
customers are encouraged to apply for and renew [5]business licenses, form
LLCs and register corporations online
* In-person building permits will continue at 1100 4th Street SW; however
customers are encouraged to conduct [6]plan and permit reviews as well
complete the full [7]certificate of occupancy application process, online
* [8]Inspections can also be scheduled by phone and online, including
inspections related to housing code violations, illegal construction, and
vacant buildings
* Consumer protection complaints will continue to be investigated, and
DCRA encourages residents to [9]report fraudulent and illegal behavior on
its website
* Building Inspections will continue to be conducted; however, the agency
will provide limited abatement services. Residents who encounter an
imminent building safety issue, such as an unstable structure, should
contact the District’s [10]Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Agency

Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) - DOEE remains operational,
with most DOEE staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. Programs that
will have modified operations are:
* Energy assistance centers located at 2100 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE
and 1207 Taylor Street, NW will be closed to the public; however, residents
can still complete an online application by visiting [11]doee.dc.gov/liheap
* Residents seeking energy assistance may apply online
at [12]doee.dc.gov/energyassistance

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - DMV remains open, with most DMV staff
teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. The DMV will extend the expiration
date for driver licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations,
inspections, ticket payments and ticket adjudication responses until April
17, 2020. All tickets will remain in their current status between March
16th and March 31st and no additional penalties will be accessed during
this period.

The following DC DMV locations will remain open and operate during normal
business hours; however, customers are encouraged to use online options by
visiting [13]dmv.dc.gov:
* Southwest Service Center - 95 M Street, SW
* Self-Service On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Emissions Kiosk – 300 Van Buren
Street, NW (open 24/7)

The following DC DMV locations will be closed beginning Monday, March 16th
through Tuesday, March 31st:
* Benning Ridge Service Center - 4525 Benning Road, SE
* Brentwood Road Test/CDL Office - 1205 Brentwood Road, NE
* Inspection Station - 1001 Half Street, SW
* Adjudication Services - 955 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
* Georgetown Service Center - 3270 M Street, NW
* Rhode Island Service Center - 2350 Washington Place, NE

Department of For Hire Vehicles - DFHV remains operational, with most DFHV
staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. Programs that will maintain
normal operations are:
* Senior Med Express
* Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
* VetsRide
* TransportDC

Taxi-to-Rail will continue to operate and will remove the current
geographic restrictions, meaning residents can be picked up from anywhere
East of the River and taken to approved locations (Metro stations and
grocery stores). Residents will continue to have access to four trips per
month.

Schools, Parks, & Libraries

Public Schools and Meal Access - DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public
charter schools have a modified schedule through March 31st.
* DCPS teachers will be in schools on Monday, March 16th to prepare
distance learning plans for students
* Information will be shared to families this week about how to receive
distance learning packets from their school
* School buildings will be open with limited staff on weekdays between
March 16th and 24th for students and families to pick up essential items
such as books and medication
* Meals will be available to any student in the District on weekdays from
Monday, March 16th through Tuesday, March 31st from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
at [14]sites across the District

Department of Parks and Recreation - DPR will continue to provide residents
with outdoor recreation opportunities. All outdoor fields, playgrounds,
tennis courts, and basketball courts will remain open.
* DPR indoor facilities are closed, and all programs, services, events
and permits are cancelled through March 31st

DC Public Library - DC Public Library locations will close on Monday, March
16th and will reopen on Wednesday, April 1st. All book drops will be locked
so residents should keep borrowed items until libraries reopen. DCPL will
continue to serve residents through its online digital library available
at [15]GoDigital.

Public Safety & Jury Duty

First Responders - The Metropolitan Police Department, the DC Fire and
Emergency Medical Services Department, the DC Homeland Security and
Emergency Management Agency, and the Office of Unified Communication will
continue to deliver services as normal.

Jury Duty - The DC Court is not closing, but is limiting the matters it
will hear before May 1st.
* All jury trials in progress will proceed as scheduled (jurors for those
trails should report)
* New jury trials in criminal cases (including those with detained
defendants) are deferred until March 30th. All persons summoned for jury
duty from March 16th though the 27th should not come to the courthouse
* Please see [16]DC Courts for more information

Office of Human Rights - OHR remains operational, with most staff
teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. OHR will not accept in-person
complaint filings or receive individuals for in-person intake interviews
during this time period.
* Beginning Wednesday, March 18th, discrimination complaints may only be
submitted to OHR via mail, email, fax, or online intake questionnaire
* Intake interviews currently scheduled with OHR between March 16th and
March 31st will be conducted via telephone
* For more information, call (202) 727-4559 or
email [17][email protected]

Office of the Attorney General - The Office of the Attorney General remains
operational, with most staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. OAG
will continue to provide valuable legal services to the District during the
period of modified operations.

- Child Support Services:
* Intake and enforcement services for child support will continue by
phone appointment
* Child Support can be reached by phone at (202) 442-9900 or email
at [18][email protected]
* Child support payments will continue to be processed as usual

- Consumer and other complaints:
* OAG continues to take complaints by phone, email, and online
* To report price gouging and other consumer complaints, call (202)
442-9828, email [19][email protected], or fill out our online form
* To report workers’ rights violations, call (202) 442-9854

Health and Human Services

DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) - DC Health Link will operate
virtually from Monday, March 16th through Tuesday, March 31st. Some DC
Health Link service operations will be modified as follows:
* DC Health Link has a special enrollment period for any DC resident who
is uninsured, please call (855) 532-5465 for more information
* All in-person activities including outreach events have been cancelled

Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) - DACL remains operational,
with most staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. DACL will continue
to provide critical services to District seniors, such as meals.
* DACL’s Information & Referral/Assistance line (202)724-5626 will
continue to operate Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
* DACL’s Adult Protective Services (APS) hotline (202) 541-3950 will
continue to operate 24 hours a day for reports of abuse and neglect of
vulnerable adults
* Adult Day Health Centers will remain open. Please contact (202)
724-5626 for more information
* Senior Wellness Centers and community dining sites will be temporarily
closed for activities effective Monday, March 16th through Tuesday, March
31st. However, meals will be available for pick-up at [20]each site between
10 am and 2 pm for current participants.

Department of Human Services (DHS) - DHS remains open and will continue to
support residents in need of assistance across the District during the
period of modified operation. Modifications to DHS’s Primary services are
as follows:

- Access to Emergency Shelter:
* All low-barrier shelters, family shelters, and shelters serving youth
will remain open
* Starting Monday, March 16th, low-barrier shelters will extend daytime
hours through Wednesday, April 1st
* Families seeking access to homeless services should call the DC Shelter
Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time of the day or night. The
Virginia Williams Family Resource Center will be closed to the public for
in-person interviews until Wednesday, April 1st
* Anyone in need of shelter can call the DC Shelter Hotline at (202)
399-7093 or 311 at any time of the day or night

- Drop-In Centers:
* Effective immediately, the Downtown Day Services Center and the Adams
Place Day Center will be closed until Wednesday, April 1st
* Zoe’s Doors Youth Drop-In center located at 900 Rhode Island Ave NE
will remain open as well as the Sasha Bruce Youth Drop-In Center at 741 8th
Street, SE

- Transportation:
* Transportation to emergency shelter is provided to anyone experiencing
homelessness in the District. To request transportation, contact the
Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or by calling 311

- Homeless Service Outreach:
* Outreach Workers are continuing to provide services to people
experiencing homeless with a focus on welfare checks, connection to medical
support, and providing life-saving supplies such as hand sanitizer,
blankets, etc.

- Eligibility for Public Benefits:
* Customers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Alliance, and
other public benefits provided by DHS, do not need to take any action at
this time to continue receiving existing benefits that would otherwise
expire on March 31st or April 30th (those benefits will be automatically
extended)
* For new applications for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, Alliance or other public
benefits, please go to [21]dhs.dc.gov or visit our Service Centers to pick
up a blank application
* Applicants can drop off completed applications for benefits at DHS
Service Centers and may be contacted by phone as necessary to complete the
eligibility process
* Residents with questions about their benefits should contact the Call
Center at (202) 727-5355 from 7:30 am to 4:45 pm

- Child Care:
* Childcare applications and documents can be dropped at the Congress
Heights Service Center (4049 South Capitol Street, SW) or the Taylor Street
Service Center (1207 Taylor Street, NW)
* Staff will call customers for an interview
* Re-certifications will be automatically processed and valid for 60-90
days
* If a customer with a voucher is requesting a reassignment, that can be
processed through the customer’s selected childcare provider, an office
visit is not necessary

- Administrative Hearings and Investigative Interviews:
* DHS will continue to hold administrative hearings and investigative
interviews but will conduct these via telephone/video calls. Any court
hearings will continue if court remains open

- Case Management:
* Case management services will continue to be provided across DHS
programs by phone or video whenever possible

-EBT Cards:
* New cards will continue to be distributed through the existing
locations at 1649 Good Hope Road, SE and 645 H Street, NE

Department on Behavioral Health (DBH) - DBH remains open and will continue
service to residents, including the following services and programs:
* The 24-hour telephone access to a mental health clinician and 24-hour
suicide prevention lifeline as 1(888) 793-4357
* Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) will continue to
provide emergency psychiatric services
* 35 K Street NE Adult Clinic will be open for urgent care services
including assessment, counseling and psychiatric evaluation from 8:30 am to
3:00 pm
* 35 K Street NE Pharmacy is open for uninsured residents from 8:00 am to
5:00 pm. Prescriptions received before 4 pm will be filled the same day
* Children and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Service (ChAMPS will provide
on-site immediate help to children facing a behavioral or mental health
crisis whether in the home, school or community. Services are geared toward
children and youth 6 – 21 years of age
* Urgent Care Clinic at the Moultrie Courthouse, will be open for easy
access to behavioral health services to individuals referred by
judges—primarily from misdemeanor and traffic court—who may show signs of
behavioral illness, have been diagnosed as mentally ill, or show signs of
both mental illness and substance abuse
* The Community Response Team will continue to respond to adults in
psychiatric crisis in the home or community for counseling and
transportation to emergency treatment if needed

Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) - CFSA remains operational, with
most staff teleworking and offices closed to the general public through
March 31st. CFSA will continue to provide essential services and duties to
ensure the safety of children in the District, including the following
services:
* The child abuse and neglect hotline (202-671-SAFE) will be operational
24/7
* Check [22]cfsa.dc.gov for updated information on child protection
registry clearances

Department of Disability Services (DDS) - DDS will remain open, with most
staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st. DDS is open to receive
documentation necessary to process any pending applications. Some DDS
service operations will be modified as follows:
* The agency will not be taking new applications for Rehabilitation
Services Administration (RSA) services during the modified District
schedule
* The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) services will
continue to the more than 2,400 individuals we serve through our contracted
provider agencies
* New intakes for DDA may be submitted for urgent need for services

DC Health - DC Health is open and actively working to reduce the spread of
COVID-19 in the District of Columbia.
* Additionally, the Vital Records Division and the Health Licensing and
Regulation Processing Center will be in operation from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
through March 31st

Housing

Department of Housing and Community Development - DHCD will remain open and
continue to assist residents in need of support during the period of
modified District operations:
* Documents for the Rental Accommodations Division, Rent Administrator,
and the Conversion and Sale Division may still be dropped off at 1800
Martin Luther King Avenue, SE at the DC Department of Housing and Community
Development and will be processed within three business days
* The Housing Resource Center will not be open for walk-in consultations
during the District’s adjusted operating hours

Office of the Tenant Advocate - The Office of the Tenant Advocate remains
operational, with most staff teleworking through Tuesday, March 31st.
Tenants seeking legal, education or outreach services should contact the
Office of Tenant Advocate either electronically, through the web-based
“[23]Ask the Chief Tenant Advocate” link or by calling (202) 719-6560.

The list above is, of course, not exhaustive of all of our District
agencies and residents should continue to consult
[24][link removed] for the most updated information on
COVID-19 response and case data in the District. I will continue to share
information as it becomes available to me. As I mentioned previously, my
physical office will close during this time, but my staff will be
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents. You may continue to
[25]email my staff or reach us via phone through our main line at (202)
724-8062.

Regards,

Mary

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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