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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. She tweeted that she continues to experience “mild cold-like/allergy-like symptoms,” and will work from home. Those in her household remain negative for COVID, she also noted.
DC Health Director Dr. LeQuandra Nesbitt also said Thursday that D.C. is seeing an increase in weekly cases—case counts are up 57 percent over the past week and have more than doubled over the past two weeks. Health officials are generally not seeing more severe illness, Nesbitt said.
Maryland and Virginia are also seeing more infections as the omicron subvariant BA.2 spreads. But the subvariant isn’t yet causing the same dramatic spike the region experienced with the highly contagious omicron variant. BA.2 makes up about 61 percent of coronavirus cases in the District, according to government data.
Bowser is among others in the political class to test positive recently. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Jamal Simmons, communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, revealed positive tests this week. Members of Congress and journalists have also tested positive this week, possibly in connection with social events such as the Gridiron Club dinner that drew hundreds of attendees to the Renaissance Hotel in downtown D.C.
Bowser encouraged those experiencing allergy or cold symptoms to get tested. “The best way to avoid serious illness is to get vaccinated and boosted,” the mayor tweeted.
The Food and Drug Administration approved second booster shots for people 50 and older and those with compromised immune systems. And this week, a panel of experts advised the FDA to develop new vaccines targeted specifically at variants, possibly similar to annual flu vaccines. A new formula would need to be finalized by June in order for the vaccine to be ready by the fall, federal officials said.
—Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
- The Capitol Hill fox, who tested positive for rabies, and her three kits were euthanized. [DCist]
- A Metro Transit police officer shot a man suspected of stabbing another man at the Anacostia station. MPD will investigate the shooting; Metro police will investigate the stabbing. [NBC, WTOP]
- Metro’s 10-year plan includes the construction of housing and commercial space on 20 of its properties. [Post]
By City Paper staff (tips? acastillo@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Initiative 82 May Make the November Ballot, But Delays at the D.C. Board of Elections Have Organizers Fuming
After a series of missteps in the 2020 primaries and a leadership shakeup, you’d think […]
- Mayor Bowser has resisted efforts to put some data behind her claims that the city needs 4,000 police officers to keep response times low. But where does that number come from, and does it make any sense? [DCist]
- At-Large Councilmember Robert White scored an endorsement from AFSCME District Council 20 in his mayoral bid. It’s the biggest public sector union in the city, and the first time in recent history that the union has endorsed a non-incumbent challenger for mayor. [Twitter]
- Now that the city’s ward lines have been redrawn, the redistricting process turns to advisory neighborhood commissions. And there have been some heated debates, including whether to create a single Ward 7 ANC west of the Anacostia. [Informer]
- The District’s sports betting contractor, Intralot, paid the city $500,000 to make up for technical failures its iPhone app experienced on the biggest betting day of the year: Super Bowl Sunday. [Twitter]
By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- The eight bagel styles you’ll find in D.C. None of them even compare to the St. Louis-style (don’t @ me). [Washingtonian, Twitter]
- Roaming Rooster and Duke’s Grocery are in Nats Park this season. [Eater]
- Streateries near Nats Park can remain with conditions, DDOT says. [DCist]
By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Swipe Right on Hi, Are You Single?
For people with disabilities who can mask their mobility issues, there comes an awkward moment […]
Art, Music, and Tech Converge at MadeInTheDMV’s MadeCon
What does the future of local arts, music, and technology hold? Find out at this […]
Bright Eyes Come Back, a Little Bit Wiser
Middle age sounds good on Conor Oberst […]
- D.C. is celebrating the historic Senate confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court—don’t miss the parties! [DCist]
By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- The Nationals lost, 5-1, to the Mets in a late night, rain-delayed Opening “Day.” At least Juan Soto hit a homer—the 99th of his young career. [MASN]
- For all his misdeeds and mishandling of the Washington Commanders organization, Dan Snyder is (somehow) still the 728th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $4 billion. [Forbes]
- The Caps have an important matchup with the Penguins tomorrow at 3 p.m. that could have playoff implications. [NBC Sports Washington]
By Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)
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