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| D.C.’s first coronavirus case is church rector; Virginia has second presumptive case, bringing region’s total to 7 | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The first confirmed case of coronavirus in the District is the rector of Christ Church Georgetown, church and city officials said Sunday. | |
| The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church’s top-ranking clergy, tested positive on Saturday, a church official said. D.C. officials confirmed he was the same man in his 50s with no recent international travel whom they identified as the first presumptive case. | |
| The historic Episcopal church canceled Sunday services and has been calling and emailing parishioners. Cole has been hospitalized since Thursday and is in stable condition, officials said. | |
| Church spokesman Rob Volmer said Cole was present for three services last week attended by 550 people. | |
| Cole did not appear to show symptoms then and had been vigilant about using hand sanitizer and washing his hands and spent part of his services reminding parishioners about good hygiene practices, Volmer said. | |
| Meanwhile Virginia announced its second presumptive case of coronavirus involving a resident of Fairfax City. The person is a resident of the city of Fairfax in their 80s who “traveled on a similar Nile cruise” as other patients who have tested positive, the Virginia Department of Health said. The resident showed signs of a respiratory illness on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized Mar. 5. The person is in stable condition. | |
| The total number of cases in the Washington region has reached seven. The announcement came less than a day after Virginia announced its first presumptive positive patient — a U.S. Marine assigned to Fort Belvoir. The Marine had returned recently from “official business” overseas, tweeted Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. | |
| Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know | Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know |
| State officials have scheduled a news conference on the two presumptive cases at 1 p.m. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Center, 3740 Old Lee Hwy. | State officials have scheduled a news conference on the two presumptive cases at 1 p.m. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Center, 3740 Old Lee Hwy. |
| On Thursday, Maryland health officials announced that three individuals in Montgomery County — a couple in their 70s and a woman in her 50s — tested positive for the virus after returning home from a cruise on the Nile. On Saturday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced the District’s first two presumptive cases: a man in his 50s who is hospitalized and a visitor who stayed in D.C. before testing positive for the virus in a Maryland hospital. | On Thursday, Maryland health officials announced that three individuals in Montgomery County — a couple in their 70s and a woman in her 50s — tested positive for the virus after returning home from a cruise on the Nile. On Saturday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced the District’s first two presumptive cases: a man in his 50s who is hospitalized and a visitor who stayed in D.C. before testing positive for the virus in a Maryland hospital. |
| Bowser (D) said Saturday that the D.C. man, now identified as Cole, was not believed to have traveled outside the United States or been in close contact with anyone else who is infected. | |
| The mayor said the other person developed symptoms of covid-19 while visiting the District, then went to a hospital in Maryland for testing. She said he is still hospitalized in Maryland. She did not give details of his condition. | |
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| D.C. health department officials are conducting “contact tracing” investigations to determine with whom the two men came into contact. | D.C. health department officials are conducting “contact tracing” investigations to determine with whom the two men came into contact. |
| “Our message to D.C. residents continues to be: Help us prevent the spread of germs and stay informed,” Bowser said at a news conference Saturday night at the Wilson Building. | “Our message to D.C. residents continues to be: Help us prevent the spread of germs and stay informed,” Bowser said at a news conference Saturday night at the Wilson Building. |
| Live updates: The latest news on the coronavirus from around the world | Live updates: The latest news on the coronavirus from around the world |
| She urged residents to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wash hands, cover coughs and stay home if sick. The mayor said she has no plans to cancel District-sponsored events. | She urged residents to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wash hands, cover coughs and stay home if sick. The mayor said she has no plans to cancel District-sponsored events. |
| “We recognize that it is fluid, and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the District,” Bowser said. “We put the safety of D.C. residents first.” | “We recognize that it is fluid, and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the District,” Bowser said. “We put the safety of D.C. residents first.” |
| Jenifer Smith, director of the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, said the city’s public lab can test 50 people a day, if necessary. Testing capabilities in the District will increase when private labs receive testing kits. | Jenifer Smith, director of the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, said the city’s public lab can test 50 people a day, if necessary. Testing capabilities in the District will increase when private labs receive testing kits. |
| The Marine who tested positive for coronavirus represents the first infection reported in Virginia. The patient, assigned to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, returned recently from “official business” overseas, tweeted Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. Rath Hoffman said the Marine is being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. | The Marine who tested positive for coronavirus represents the first infection reported in Virginia. The patient, assigned to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, returned recently from “official business” overseas, tweeted Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. Rath Hoffman said the Marine is being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. |
| The Virginia Health Department said the state government is working with officials at the hospital. They said there has been no evidence of coronavirus spreading in the state, and the risk to the general public remains low. | The Virginia Health Department said the state government is working with officials at the hospital. They said there has been no evidence of coronavirus spreading in the state, and the risk to the general public remains low. |
| Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said state officials had discussed the CPAC-related infection with the CDC, the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the state health agency in New Jersey, where the person was reportedly hospitalized. | Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said state officials had discussed the CPAC-related infection with the CDC, the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the state health agency in New Jersey, where the person was reportedly hospitalized. |
| Hogan (R) urged people who attended the conference in Prince George’s County to take their temperature twice a day and notify their health-care provider and local health department if that temperature exceeds 100.4 or if they develop a cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Anyone with those symptoms should remain at home until they receive instructions about next steps from their health-care provider or local health department, Hogan said in a statement. | Hogan (R) urged people who attended the conference in Prince George’s County to take their temperature twice a day and notify their health-care provider and local health department if that temperature exceeds 100.4 or if they develop a cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Anyone with those symptoms should remain at home until they receive instructions about next steps from their health-care provider or local health department, Hogan said in a statement. |
| Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know | Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know |
| President Trump and Vice President Pence both attended the conference. White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that the White House is aware of the patient and added that “at this time there is no indication” that either Trump or Pence “met with or were in close proximity to the attendee.” | President Trump and Vice President Pence both attended the conference. White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that the White House is aware of the patient and added that “at this time there is no indication” that either Trump or Pence “met with or were in close proximity to the attendee.” |
| Maryland lawmakers who went to CPAC said they spent Saturday evening texting friends to check their health after learning a conference attendee had been diagnosed with coronavirus. | Maryland lawmakers who went to CPAC said they spent Saturday evening texting friends to check their health after learning a conference attendee had been diagnosed with coronavirus. |
| “None of us are sick,” said Del. Lauren R. Arikan (R-Harford). But Arikan, who is 24 weeks pregnant, said she is now second-guessing her decision to attend the event. | “None of us are sick,” said Del. Lauren R. Arikan (R-Harford). But Arikan, who is 24 weeks pregnant, said she is now second-guessing her decision to attend the event. |
| “I almost didn’t go because … of the virus, but I didn’t want to be one of those nutty people staying in,” she said. “I didn’t want to overreact, but now I feel like I underreacted.” | |
| Arikan said she spent the majority of her time in the main hall. The infected person was not in that area, according to an email CPAC organizers sent to attendees. | Arikan said she spent the majority of her time in the main hall. The infected person was not in that area, according to an email CPAC organizers sent to attendees. |
| “We were obsessively washing our hands. Going to the bathroom, washing our hands,” she said, noting that attendees weren’t allowed to carry purses, so she had no hand sanitizer with her. “But now I think about it, the bathroom is where sick people are.” | “We were obsessively washing our hands. Going to the bathroom, washing our hands,” she said, noting that attendees weren’t allowed to carry purses, so she had no hand sanitizer with her. “But now I think about it, the bathroom is where sick people are.” |
| Del. Matt Morgan (R-St. Mary’s) attended the conference with his wife and daughters. None are showing any symptoms, he said, and he thinks there is little chance his family was exposed. | Del. Matt Morgan (R-St. Mary’s) attended the conference with his wife and daughters. None are showing any symptoms, he said, and he thinks there is little chance his family was exposed. |
| “We were all there for a short amount of time … It wasn’t like we were shaking hands,” he said. | |
| Del. Sid A. Saab (R-Anne Arundel) said he received the email from conference organizers on Saturday afternoon. The email said to “remain calm and to listen to health providers,” he said. “I feel fine,” Saab said, adding that he is not anxious because he has sat in on briefings with the state health department. “I’ve been washing my hands.” | Del. Sid A. Saab (R-Anne Arundel) said he received the email from conference organizers on Saturday afternoon. The email said to “remain calm and to listen to health providers,” he said. “I feel fine,” Saab said, adding that he is not anxious because he has sat in on briefings with the state health department. “I’ve been washing my hands.” |
| Meanwhile, officials said no residents or staff members have tested positive for or exhibited symptoms of coronavirus at the Village of Rockville, a sprawling retirement community that was visited on Feb. 28 by a Montgomery County woman who had been infected. | Meanwhile, officials said no residents or staff members have tested positive for or exhibited symptoms of coronavirus at the Village of Rockville, a sprawling retirement community that was visited on Feb. 28 by a Montgomery County woman who had been infected. |
| How to sign up for our free coronavirus newsletter (with relaxed paywall) | How to sign up for our free coronavirus newsletter (with relaxed paywall) |
| Hogan said Friday that three Montgomery County residents — a husband and wife in their 70s and an unrelated woman in her 50s — contracted the virus while on a Nile River cruise in Egypt. All three are recovering from flu-like symptoms in good condition. Their names have been withheld to protect their privacy. | Hogan said Friday that three Montgomery County residents — a husband and wife in their 70s and an unrelated woman in her 50s — contracted the virus while on a Nile River cruise in Egypt. All three are recovering from flu-like symptoms in good condition. Their names have been withheld to protect their privacy. |
| Allison Combs, a spokeswoman from the Village, said the facility had been screening residents and employees for symptoms associated with coronavirus even before Hogan announced Friday night that the woman who tested positive had been there. | Allison Combs, a spokeswoman from the Village, said the facility had been screening residents and employees for symptoms associated with coronavirus even before Hogan announced Friday night that the woman who tested positive had been there. |
| Staffers at the Village are now working to identify the individuals who were with her at the Feb. 28 post-funeral reception for a former resident. Those individuals would then undergo more frequent screening. It is unclear how many Village residents were there. | Staffers at the Village are now working to identify the individuals who were with her at the Feb. 28 post-funeral reception for a former resident. Those individuals would then undergo more frequent screening. It is unclear how many Village residents were there. |
| The Maryland Health Department has not recommended that attendees of the Feb. 28 event be quarantined, Combs said. Out of an abundance of caution, the Village — a 27-acre retirement community that houses about 300 people — has reduced visiting hours and postponed all gatherings and public events. | The Maryland Health Department has not recommended that attendees of the Feb. 28 event be quarantined, Combs said. Out of an abundance of caution, the Village — a 27-acre retirement community that houses about 300 people — has reduced visiting hours and postponed all gatherings and public events. |
| Hogan said attendees of the event should contact health officials and watch for symptoms. | Hogan said attendees of the event should contact health officials and watch for symptoms. |
| On Friday, the grandson of the man who died called a phone number provided by the state and was told he did not need to be tested because he was not showing flu-like symptoms. | On Friday, the grandson of the man who died called a phone number provided by the state and was told he did not need to be tested because he was not showing flu-like symptoms. |
| “It has made it a lot more real,” the grandson said. “Honestly, the past week or so, I grew sick of the name, ‘coronavirus.’ But it has driven it a lot closer to home, knowing that the event in question was my grandfather’s shiva.” | “It has made it a lot more real,” the grandson said. “Honestly, the past week or so, I grew sick of the name, ‘coronavirus.’ But it has driven it a lot closer to home, knowing that the event in question was my grandfather’s shiva.” |
| Peggy Shelly of New York said she has not received information or been able to get in contact with her 96-year-old mother at the Village, which used to be called the National Lutheran Home and is located on Veirs Drive, about two miles west of Interstate 270. | Peggy Shelly of New York said she has not received information or been able to get in contact with her 96-year-old mother at the Village, which used to be called the National Lutheran Home and is located on Veirs Drive, about two miles west of Interstate 270. |
| “I’m a little bit surprised that the management at the Village haven’t reached out to us,” she said Saturday. “The only information I have is pulled from Twitter.” | “I’m a little bit surprised that the management at the Village haven’t reached out to us,” she said Saturday. “The only information I have is pulled from Twitter.” |
| Combs said they have sent out information to all family members who provided their emails to the Village. | Combs said they have sent out information to all family members who provided their emails to the Village. |
| This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | This is a developing story. Check back for updates. |