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Hundreds exposed to church rector with coronavirus urged to quarantine; new case reported in Arlington As coronavirus spreads through region, different cases trigger different responses
(about 4 hours later)
A third case of coronavirus in Northern Virginia was announced Monday, shortly after D.C. officials urged hundreds of Christ Church, Georgetown attendees to self-quarantine because of their exposure to the Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, who is the city’s first known coronavirus patient. Authorities in the Washington area took different approaches Monday as they scrambled to stop the spread of coronavirus: D.C. officials asked hundreds of churchgoers to self-quarantine, while officials in Maryland and Virginia said cases of the virus within their borders did not require such measures.
The Virginia Department of Health said their latest confirmed case is a 60-something resident of Arlington County who developed fever, cough and shortness of breath after an international trip. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced a county resident had tested positive for the virus, but offered no additional details. A third person was confirmed to have the virus in Northern Virginia, bringing the total number of known cases in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. to 11.
The person had limited contact with other people while ill, the statement said, and is receiving medical care and recuperating. Each case seemed to trigger its own set of repercussions.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) urged hundreds of people who were at Christ Church, Georgetown on certain days in late February or March to hunker down at home, in case they had been in close contact with the Rev. Timothy Coles, who tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
At least three D.C. schools closed for deep cleaning because a staff member had been exposed to Coles or the other confirmed D.C. patient. A youth soccer league canceled practice because some of its players attended those D.C. schools.
So Others Might Eat, the anti-hunger nonprofit, scrapped annual fundraisers, and an environmental film festival and some National Gallery events were canceled. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, ordered 88 churches and schools in the D.C. area to stop using shared cups during Communion, to drain baptismal fonts and to refrain from handshakes or hugs.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck operation,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who announced that six state residents — two of whom have flu-like symptoms — were quarantined and being tested for coronavirus.
All six had been on the same Egyptian cruise vessel as three Mongtomery County residents who were diagnosed with the virus last week, though they traveled at different times.
But Hogan has not urged broad quarantines for people who were at a post-funeral reception at a Rockville senior living center with one of the Maryland coronavirus patients, or who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md., where an attendee later tested positive.
Officials said those cases involved fewer direct contacts with the infected people than Cole may have had at his historic D.C. church.
“It’s a different situation in a number of respects,” Hogan said. “This was the priest himself who was serving Communion to all of the parishioners while he was actively sick. There was more of a concern that he was potentially infecting people.”
Cole’s diagnosis also raised alarms because he had no recent international travel, unlike the other D.C. patients and the confirmed patients in Virginia and Maryland.
See the latest live updates about the coronavirus hereSee the latest live updates about the coronavirus here
Cole, who first became sick after returning from a Feb. 22 conference of Episcopal leaders in Louisville, tested positive for coronavirus Saturday and is quarantined at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in stable condition. The Virginia case announced Monday involved a 60-something Arlington County resident who developed fever, cough and shortness of breath after an international trip. The person had limited contact with other people while ill, the state health department said, and is receiving medical care and recuperating.
A senior D.C. Health Department official said there is “medium risk” for anyone who came within six feet of Cole on Feb. 24 and between Feb. 28 and March 3. Officials are recommending that people who were at the church on those dates self-quarantine until 14 days after their most recent contact. Also in Arlington, more than a dozen office tenants at two buildings in Crystal City -- 201 12th Street and 1225 South Clark Street -- were notified by property owner JBG Smith that an individual who works at one of the buildings had tested positive for coronavirus.
JBG Smith spokesman Bud Perrone said the office tenant told employees who had interacted with the individual to self-quarantine and hired a contractor to disinfect its spaces. JBG is sanitizing common areas at the two buildings and neighboring complexes. Tenants were told that both buildings would remain open.
The wife of a person who works at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which is housed at 201 12th Street, said the patient in question was a U.S. Marine whose diagnosis was announced by the Pentagon on Saturday. The woman asked not to be named to avoid consequences for her husband.
She said employees were told Sunday that they should stay home Monday “if they had been in contact with this gentleman, within six feet, for more than 15 minutes in the last 2 weeks.”
On Monday, the agency sent the remaining employees home “just for the day, while they were cleaning,” said the woman. “And then they’re having them come back in tomorrow.”
There are several factors behind a directive to self-quarantine, said Montgomery County health officer Travis Gayles. They include the type and duration of the interaction with the infected person, and that person’s condition at the time of the interaction.
For example, at the post-funeral reception at the retirement community in Rockville, authorities determined that only people who had physical contact with the infected person are likely to be at risk. No residents of the retirement community have shown any symptoms of having the virus, officials said.
“These are not the same cases,” Gayles said. “You have to ask deeper questions.”
Coronavirus in the DMV: Frequently asked questions
Hogan provided more detail Monday on two Maryland patients whose diagnoses were announced Sunday. A woman from Harford County became sick after traveling to Turkey, while a man from Montgomery County who fell ill had recently been in Egypt and Thailand.
Another 12 Maryland residents who have not shown symptoms are on the Grand Princess cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of San Francisco, Hogan said.
The governor canceled all out-of-state travel for state workers until further notice and said agencies should be prepared for extended periods of telework.
Cole, the D.C. pastor, has been quarantined at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in stable condition since his Saturday diagnosis. He first became sick after returning from a Feb. 22 conference of Episcopal leaders in Louisville.
A D.C. health official said there is “medium risk” for people who came within six feet of Cole on Feb. 24 and between Feb. 28 and March 3. Officials said people wat the church on those dates should to self-quarantine until 14 days after their most recent contact.
“That is when our case was symptomatic,” said Anjali Talwalkar, senior deputy director for the health agency’s community health administration. “So anybody who was potentially exposed during that time, out of caution and best practices for disease control, that’s the recommendation.”“That is when our case was symptomatic,” said Anjali Talwalkar, senior deputy director for the health agency’s community health administration. “So anybody who was potentially exposed during that time, out of caution and best practices for disease control, that’s the recommendation.”
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced the self-quarantine recommendation at a news conference Monday morning, as authorities try to contain the spread of the virus. It is the first broad self-quarantine order in the Washington region. Bowser said the city has leased a facility to use as a quarantine site if necessary and she is evaluating whether she needs the power to impose quarantines by declaring a public health emergency. In the meantime, the mayor said people should take the self-quarantine message seriously.
Bowser also said she is evaluating whether she needs the power to impose quarantines by declaring a public health emergency. She said a decision was likely later in the day. “We don’t see it as a ‘nice to,’ it’s a ‘must to,’ ” Bowser said. “If you’ve been exposed, you need to self quarantine, and we recognize that there will be hardships.”
Cole oversaw multiple services on March 1, attended by a total of 550 people, the church has said. He provided Communion at the 11:15 a.m. services. Church officials said he appeared healthy that day and had been regularly washing his hands. But he had been ill in late February. The church said in a statement Monday that a “large number” of parishioners have confirmed they are quarantined; none have reported symptoms that suggest they are infected.
There was no immediate estimate of how many people came into close contact with him on the other targeted days.
Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know
In Maryland, where five individuals have tested positive for Covid-19, state officials have not publicly announced that any large groups of individuals should self-quarantine.
One of the infected people paid a condolence call at a retirement home in Montgomery County on Feb. 28, potentially exposing 70 to 100 other people to the virus.
As of Monday morning, no residents of The Village at Rockville were showing symptoms of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, said Montgomery’s head of emergency management Earl Stoddard. Employees have been asked to continue monitoring residents and themselves for symptoms, Stoddard said, and contact-tracing for attendees at the event is continuing.
In D.C., Christ Church closed Sunday while the health officials launched an investigation into possible exposures. The agency notified the historic Episcopal church at 10:47 p.m. Sunday that parishioners should self-quarantine, and the church sent an email to members an hour later.
Bowser said people should take the self-quarantine message seriously.
“We don’t see it as a ‘nice to,’ it’s a ‘must to,’ ” Bowser said. “If you’ve been exposed, you need to self quarantine, and we recognize that there will be hardships for many people not just in D.C., but in Maryland and Virginia. We know there were congregants not just from Washington, D.C., who attend Christ Church.”
The church said Monday that a “large number” of parishioners have confirmed they are self quarantining and none have reported symptoms that suggest they are infected.
Tom Crocker, a Georgetown resident and lifetime church member, said he is staying at home with his wife until March 15 because he attended a March 1 service. He had already stockpiled food because of the virus before learning that Cole was ill.Tom Crocker, a Georgetown resident and lifetime church member, said he is staying at home with his wife until March 15 because he attended a March 1 service. He had already stockpiled food because of the virus before learning that Cole was ill.
“I was shocked and amazed to find that our rector was the first case [in the city]. It’s one in a million that would happen,” said Crocker, a 70-year-old retired lawyer who was not showing symptoms.“I was shocked and amazed to find that our rector was the first case [in the city]. It’s one in a million that would happen,” said Crocker, a 70-year-old retired lawyer who was not showing symptoms.
But Jim Cannon, 67, said he has no plans to hunker down, despite shaking Cole’s hand and taking Communion from him on March 1. He said he is feeling fine and would rather take advice from his doctor than the mayor. Cannon spent Monday golfing in Reston, Va., keeping a golf club’s distance away from friends and driving alone in his cart. So you’ve been asked to self-quarantine. Here’s what you should know
“This isn’t the black plague. We are not dropping like flies,” said Cannon, a Silver Spring resident. “I guess I’ve just been around too long to think we all need to go into a shelter mode.” But Jim Cannon, 67, said he has no plans to hunker down, though he recalls shaking Cole’s hand and taking Communion from him on March 1. He said he is feeling fine and would rather take advice from his doctor than the mayor. Cannon, who lives in Silver Spring, spent Monday golfing in Reston, Va., keeping a golf club’s distance away from friends and driving alone in his cart.
“This isn’t the black plague. We are not dropping like flies,” he said. “I guess I’ve just been around too long to think we all need to go into a shelter mode.”
Several Republican members of Congress announced they would self-quarantine after interacting with a man at CPAC who was later diagnosed with coronavirus.
But Hogan said the state was not issuing a broad quarantine order for the thousands who attended the conference at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center because the man had “limited contact” with others during the event.
The union that represents about 1,000 Gaylord workers said it is working with management to ensure precautions are taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We are advising our members that if they do not feel well that they should stay home and contact their health care provider,” said John Boardman, executive secretary and treasurer of the Unite Here’s D.C. affiliate, which represents the employees. “We have been working with the employers to make sure that if somebody stays home that there is no consequence to missing work for a legitimate absence.”
More broadly, labor leaders in the Washington region say they are concerned about the economic impact the coronavirus outbreak could have for hourly workers in the hospitality industry. With hotel bookings down, many workers are already being laid off, some union leaders said.
This is the historic church impacted by D.C.’s coronavirus outbreakThis is the historic church impacted by D.C.’s coronavirus outbreak
Cole and his family are already under quarantine. A spokeswoman for the Georgetown hospital said he is isolated and that staff are using personal protective equipment. The District’s second coronavirus case involves a man who was treated in Maryland, but developed symptoms in the city after traveling there from Nigeria. The District’s School Without Walls closed Monday because a staff member there had close contact with that patient. But officials later said all three people who had close contact with the patient had tested negative for the virus.
The cleric had no recent international travel and first fell ill after returning from a Feb. 22 conference of Episcopal leaders in Louisville. Conference organizers say they are in touch with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health authorities in the District and Kentucky.
Stoddard, the emergency management head in Montgomery County, said Coles’s case “is of particular concern,” because it is not linked to overseas travel.
“It creates questions on community transmission, and as the investigation proceeds, these are the kinds of things that represent potential escalation points to us,” he said.
The District’s second coronavirus case involved a man who was treated in Maryland, but developed symptoms in the city after traveling there from Nigeria.
School Without Walls, a selective public high school in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, closed Monday after city officials determined that a staff member had close contact with that patient.
But officials said Monday that all three people who had close contact with the patient had tested negative for the virus.
Bowser said the school was being deep-cleaned and would reopen Tuesday. “Even though our employee does not display any symptoms, I made a decision to [close the school] out of an abundance of caution,” Bowser said.
D.C. International School, a charter school in Northwest Washington, also closed Monday for cleaning after officials said a staff member was in contact with a person who went to Christ Church Georgetown. Mundo Verde, an elementary and early childhood care charter school, also closed its Northwest Washington campus Monday for cleaning.D.C. International School, a charter school in Northwest Washington, also closed Monday for cleaning after officials said a staff member was in contact with a person who went to Christ Church Georgetown. Mundo Verde, an elementary and early childhood care charter school, also closed its Northwest Washington campus Monday for cleaning.
The Washington Capital United youth travel soccer club cancelled Monday’s training session “out of an abundance of caution” because it has players in the schools that closed Monday, according to club president Mic Burns said. Tuesday’s training session has not been cancelled. All three schools will reopen Tuesday.
So Others Might Eat, a D.C. anti-hunger nonprofit, announced Monday it would cancel its March “empty bowls” fundraisers over coronavirus concerns. The National Gallery of Art canceled two upcoming NGA Nights events and Environmental Film Festivals canceled all screenings scheduled to start Thursday across Washington.
So you’ve been asked to self-quarantine. Here’s what you should know
In Alexandria, Mayor Justin Wilson (D) said Monday the city has split its 911 call center between two sites. “In case people in one location are somehow infected, we can keep going,” Wilson said.In Alexandria, Mayor Justin Wilson (D) said Monday the city has split its 911 call center between two sites. “In case people in one location are somehow infected, we can keep going,” Wilson said.
Although some residents had suggested canceling the St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday, he said, the city went ahead with the event and crowd sizes seemed normal. Erin Cox, Luz Lazo, Antonio Olivo, Jenna Portnoy, Darran Simon, Perry Stein, Patricia Sullivan and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
Authorities think all of the Virginia and Maryland patients diagnosed so far contracted the virus while overseas.
Meanwhile, officials across the region are coordinating the bulk purchasing of medical supplies such as hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves, Stoddard said. Montgomery has about 15,000 N95 masks and is looking to purchase 10,000 more, largely to equip first responders and public health officials. In addition, the county has expanded its cleaning services at government buildings and requested a “total wipedown” of all surfaces at night, Stoddard said.
A person who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md., also has been diagnosed with the virus, and at least two members of Congress announced Sunday that they would self-quarantine because they had contact with him.
Del. Matt Morgan (R-St. Mary’s) said in a statement that 12 members of the House Republican Caucus went to the conference to hear an address by President Trump. The infected person did not attend that part of the conference, the statement said.
“At this time, it is improbable that any member of the Maryland House Republican Caucus came within direct contact of the infected individual,” Morgan said. “However, our Caucus members will defer to guidance provided by the Maryland Department of Health.”
The union that represents about 1,000 workers at Gaylord said leaders have been working with management to ensure precautions are taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Employees of the hotel, which is the largest on the East Coast, are receiving “reinforcement training on how to deal with the virus and what they need to do to remain healthy and safe,” said John Boardman, executive secretary and treasurer of the Unite Here’s D.C. affiliate representing.
“We are advising our members that if they do not feel well that they should stay home and contact their health care provider,” Boardman said. “We have been working with the employers to make sure that if somebody stays home that there is no consequence to missing work for a legitimate absence.”
More broadly, labor leaders in the Washington region say they have growing concerns about the economic impact the coronavirus outbreak could have in the hospitality industry and the hundreds of thousands of hourly workers that depend on it. With hotel bookings down, many workers are already being laid off, some union leaders said.
“The truth is right now this appears to be having a significant impact on the hospitality and travel sector and we want to make sure that the government is prepared to support these workers in the event that they get laid off,” Boardman said.
“There are already impacts on travel and on bookings,” he said. “If travelers are not coming to stay in a hotel, then people are on layoffs.” Unite Here Local 25 represents about 7,000 workers in hotels and casinos in the Washington region.
Since the coronavirus outbreak began in the Wuhan province of China, the virus has infected more than 109,000 people globally and has killed more than 3,700.
Confirmed cases in the United States topped 500 Sunday, with fatalities rising to 21 after the deaths of two more residents of an infection-stricken nursing home in Washington state.
To curb the spread of the virus, authorities are urging people to regularly wash their hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home when ill. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients are thought to be the most contagious when they are the most symptomatic, but some spread may be possible before people are visibly sick.
This is a developing story. It is being updated as new information becomes available.
Luz Lazo, Darran Simon, Perry Stein, Patricia Sullivan and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
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