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D.C. declares state of emergency as concerts, parades, church services are canceled Three coronavirus cases linked to D.C. church; Colleges cancel in-person classes
(about 5 hours later)
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser declared a state of emergency Wednesday that allows her to enforce quarantines and cancellations to slow the spread of the coronavirus, as major churches and organizations in and around the nation’s capital said they would shut down for the rest of the month. Six new coronavirus cases were announced in Maryland and Virginia on Tuesday, and officials said several universities in the region will temporarily halt in-person classes in an effort to stop the virus from spreading.
The Episcopal Dioceses of Washington and Virginia said churches including Washington National Cathedral would close for two weeks. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center canceled upcoming events, as did the promoter of concerts at the Anthem, the 9:30 Club, the Lincoln Theater and U Street Music Hall. Twenty-two coronavirus cases have now been reported in the region.
Organizers said parts of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival would be shelved, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon had its city permit pulled, and the St. Patrick’s Day parade scheduled for Sunday was postponed indefinitely. Loudoun County officials said a man in his 40s who tested positive had attended Christ Church in Georgetown, where both the rector and the organist also were diagnosed with the virus. The man is in good condition, officials said.
More colleges and schools announced plans to close for deep cleaning or move to online classes. In Virginia Beach, the city health department said a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s had contracted the virus while traveling on the same Nile River cruise line that has been linked to multiple other cases. Both are isolated and in stable condition.
Bowser announced six new coronavirus cases, including two not linked to any known source of infection, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the District, Maryland and Virginia to at least 34. Officials in Alexandria, Va., announced the first case there late Wednesday. A woman in Montgomery County who had traveled on the Nile River cruise line also was found to have the virus Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said. A Prince George’s County couple who took a cruise with that company have tested positive for the virus, as well.
Bowser said the District has leased an undisclosed location that can be used to quarantine up to 50 people. See the latest live updates about the coronavirus here
“I want to continue to remind everyone to be vigilant,” Bowser said at a news conference. “Our duty now as citizens is to try to contain the spread of germs and this virus in our communities.” Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks said another county resident in her 50s, who tested positive for the virus Monday, appears to have contracted the virus while on a trip to Boston from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27.
Live updates: See the latest news on the coronavirus here Prince George’s officials declined to say if the woman was attending a conference in Boston that has been linked to dozens of other coronavirus cases. All three Prince George’s patients are self-quarantined at home and in good condition.
Before the emergency declaration, the owner of the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals said their games would go on as scheduled at Capital One Arena in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood. Alsobrooks (D) spoke at the county emergency operations center in front of a giant digital map of the nation with a ticker of global coronavirus cases that, during the news conference, read: 116,152.
Later, the National Basketball Association announced that it would suspend its season indefinitely after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the virus. “This is a virus, and we expect it to spread,” she said. “We believe the public has a role in helping us to prevent it from spreading. Viruses spread, the flu spreads. But we have the power in our community to keep it from spreading.”
City health officials earlier Wednesday had recommended canceling all “non-essential mass gatherings” of 1,000 people or more through the end of the month. Officials urged people who feel sick to stay home from work and school and repeated instructions for good hygiene, including thorough handwashing. School officials said health-related absences will be excused without a doctor’s note.
Health officials also expanded a self-quarantine recommendation for people who have visited Christ Church Georgetown, which is now linked to three confirmed coronavirus cases. Both Maryland’s public university system and American University in the District announced plans to keep students away from campus for a short time after spring break, teaching them online instead of in person, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus in the region. Other colleges and universities throughout the country are taking similar steps.
Rev. Timothy Cole, 59, the church rector, was diagnosed with the virus after attending an Episcopal leaders conference in Louisville. Organizers of the conference said Wednesday that two other conference attendees have also tested positive. Fairfax County Public Schools canceled classes for its 188,000 students Monday, so that teachers can attend training on how to conduct classes online, should that step become necessary.
In recent days, Christ Church organist Tom Smith and a church member from Loudoun County also were diagnosed with the virus. The Alexandria school system sent an email to families Tuesday to say a small number of students and staff — fewer than a dozen — were self-quarantining because they had come into contact with people who have contracted the coronavirus or had visited foreign countries or traveled on cruise ships that were a concern. The individuals are affiliated with at least three school campuses in the city, a spokesman said. Those campuses were scheduled for deep-cleaning overnight.
After Cole’s diagnosis, city officials urged people who had been at the church on Feb. 24 or between Feb. 28 and March 3 — days when Cole was there — to quarantine at home and monitor themselves for symptoms. Coronavirus in the DMV: Frequently asked questions
But the city has since extended the recommendation to include people at the church March 4 through March 6, to account for the days Smith was there. Smith played at a funeral on March 6, and those who attended that service are also being alerted, the church said in an email to members. City officials want people to stay isolated until two weeks have passed since their last time at the church. The newly diagnosed patient in Loudoun County is sick but in good condition and self-isolating at home, county officials said. They said the man did not appear to have interacted with anyone who is elderly, immunocompromised or otherwise considered at high risk for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to know “We are continuing to do everything in our power to keep Loudoun safe and healthy,” said Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), chair of the county board. “Any risk, right now, to the Loudoun community from this case remains low.”
Authorities say anyone who develops symptoms, such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath, and believes they have been exposed to the virus, should consult their health-care provider about whether to be tested. Authorities say people can limit the spread of the virus, and their susceptibility to it, by staying home if they are ill, washing their hands frequently and avoiding people who have respiratory symptoms. People who develop fever, cough or shortness of breath should consult health-care providers about whether they should be tested.
Health-care experts say that those who are sick should stay home and that everyone should wash their hands thoroughly and regularly, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Those with compromised immune systems are also advised to take precautions. At least three cases of the virus are connected to Christ Church, a historic Episcopal congregation.
The six new coronavirus cases in the District include a 59-year-old man and a 39-year-old man who traveled abroad; a 58-year-old woman who attended a conference where other participants tested positive; and a 59-year-old woman who came in contact with another person who previously tested positive in the District. Officials said they have not identified a probable source of exposure for the other two people, a man in his early 20s and a 69-year-old woman. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) on Monday asked people who had been at the church Feb. 24 or between Feb. 28 and March 3 to quarantine themselves at home for a 14-day period. The specified dates were when the Rev. Timothy Cole, 59, the church rector who was diagnosed with the virus Saturday, was in the building and may have been infectious. Among other things, Cole attended a March 3 “Legos for Lent” event where small children and adults shared a buffet-style dinner, church spokesman Rob Volmer said.
Such cases — when there is no obvious likely origin — are the most concerning to health officials and are a primary reason for considering widespread closures and disruptions, officials say. The goal is to limit the spread of the virus by patients who have not yet been diagnosed and quarantined. Cole is hospitalized in stable condition. The church organist, Tom Smith, 39, tested positive for the virus Monday. He is in quarantine at his D.C. home “in good spirits,” with mild symptoms, Volmer said. Smith was at Sunday services March 1 and a choral event that evening, Volmer said, but did not attend other large events that week.
“We have person-to-person transmission occurring in the District of Columbia, as well as at least two individuals whose reasons for covid-19 have yet to be identified,” D.C. Health Director LaQuandra S. Nesbitt said at the news conference where Bowser announced the state of emergency. The diagnosis of the Loudoun man who attended the church was reported Tuesday.
Sign up for The Washington Post’s coronavirus newsletter Church members embrace quarantine as a necessary disruption
Alexandria officials said a resident who tested positive for the coronavirus had been in contact with a District resident with the virus who was associated with Christ Church and had spent time at the Immanuel Chapel of the Virginia Theological Seminary, according to a news release. The age and gender of the person was not immediately available. Church officials have heard from families making up roughly 200 people who are self-quarantining, Volmer said. In addition to Smith, Volmer said, other church staff members and their immediate families have been tested, with results negative or pending.
Earlier in the day, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) on Wednesday reported on another new coronavirus case in his state: a male teenager in the Chickahominy Health District, in the area of Hanover County. Cole first became sick after returning from a Feb. 22 conference of Episcopal leaders in Louisville. D.C. health officials said they were still investigating where he may have contracted the virus. His case raised alarms because unlike most of the other patients in the region, he had not traveled overseas or anywhere that an outbreak has been confirmed.
The teen, who does not attend school, visited a country where there is “ongoing transmission” of the virus, said Caitlin Hodge, a spokeswoman for the health district. He returned from his trip on March 4, started having symptoms on March 8 and was tested. Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., the largest Episcopal seminary in the United States, said Tuesday that a group of seminarians and two faculty members are under self-quarantine because they were in contact with Cole. Two seminary officials appeared at a March 3 event at Christ Church.
Northam said steps were being taken in several agencies — including schools, transportation and health — to make sure the commonwealth is prepared to deal with the virus. He has not yet declared a state of emergency but said he is “prepared to do so.” None of them are showing symptoms of the virus, but officials at the seminary are asking that people who are at higher risk for serious illness stay away from the campus.
The state’s public lab has testing supplies for 300 to 400 patients, and it anticipates receiving additional tests soon to increase that capacity to 600. Until testing capacity increases, health department officials will give priority to people who have had contact with others with confirmed cases, who have traveled to impacted areas and who live in nursing homes. D.C. Health Director LaQuandra S. Nesbitt said people who have come into contact with Christ Church attendees who are not showing symptoms of the coronavirus do not need to change their habits. She said parents should not panic, for example, if their child is attending school with someone who has been in contact with a patient but is not feverish or experiencing respiratory symptoms themselves.
Daniel Carey, Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources, said that given the limited number of tests available, it makes sense for doctors to first test patients for flu, pneumonia or bacterial infections to rule out those conditions. “This notion that if a student who is a contact of an asymptomatic contact of a case attends a particular school that something needs to happen in that school is not scientifically driven,” she said.
In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced four new cases: a woman in her 70s who tested positive in Anne Arundel County after having close contact with someone else who had the virus; a Montgomery County man in his 20s who recently traveled to Spain; a Baltimore County man in his 60s who was at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in the District; and a Prince George’s County man in his 60s, who is currently hospitalized. That man’s travel is being investigated. At a homeless shelter: A hot meal, a warm bed, and coronavirus warnings
The governor told residents to brace for social-distancing measures and warned of “significant disruption to your daily lives for a period of time.” He urged local governments to consider canceling large events, ordered nursing homes to bar nonessential visits, curtailed walk-in visits to the Motor Vehicle Administration and instructed local schools and preschools “to be prepared with contingency plans for potential long-term closures.” Hogan said he has instructed all nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to limit visitors and bar their workers from international travel, measures he hopes will prevent an outbreak like the one in the Kirkland, Wash., nursing home where over a dozen residents have died.
State businesses will have an automatic extension on state tax filings, until June 1, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said. “We want to do everything in our power to avoid that situation,” Hogan said at the start of a cabinet meeting in Annapolis. “This problem continues to evolve and escalate rapidly.”
The Internal Revenue Service deadline of April 15 for income and corporate taxes remains unchanged. Hogan and other officials said they expect a rapid rise in diagnosed cases as testing expands. Like the rest of the nation, Maryland will soon move from trying to contain the virus to mitigating its impact, he said.
National Cathedral, hundreds of Episcopal churches closing for the month In Prince George’s County, officials have told hundreds of people who worked at or attended the Conservative Political Action Conference at National Harbor late last month, including police officers and emergency personnel, to monitor themselves for symptoms. That’s because a person who attended the conference was diagnosed with the virus after he returned home to New Jersey.
Events D.C., the District’s tourism arm, said Wednesday that officials have learned of two other AIPAC attendees — from Ohio and Toronto — in addition to three cases announced earlier. Alsobrooks canceled three community forums this week, including a census workshop Wednesday.
Officials say there was a low risk of exposure for people who attended the conference, because the patients did not show symptoms during the conference, said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and chief executive of Events D.C. All federal courthouses in the Eastern District of Virginia have suspended “non-case related outside events,” including tours and naturalization ceremonies, at least through the end of March.
Indoor venues managed by Events D.C. — including the convention center, the D.C. Armory, and the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center — will undergo a deep cleaning in coming days, he said, “out of an abundance of caution.” In Fairfax County, elected officials worked to maintain calm while wrestling with questions about when to consider closing schools and canceling public meetings.
He said the suspension of operations at the convention center and other facilities will affect three Capital City Go-Go basketball games, a circus and the finish line and expo associated with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. “I don’t think any one of us wants to be hosting the meeting that spreads this disease,” Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) said. “I don’t want to panic, but I also want to be smart.”
The decision to shut down immediately affected Satellite 2020, an annual technology convention that has been held in the District for 39 years. The convention started Monday, was scheduled to end Thursday, and was expected to draw more than 15,000 attendees from more than 100 countries, organizers said. Nick Anderson, Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Erin Cox, Dana Hedgpeth, Luz Lazo, Hannah Natanson, Darran Simon, Patricia Sullivan, Rebecca Tan, Rachel Weiner and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
Pete Schramm, a sales engineer based in Maryland, said the mood at the convention was “subdued” Wednesday over concerns about the coronavirus.
“Nobody wants to touch you and people are keeping their distance,” he said while having a cigarette outside the convention center. “People are very reserved, they’re quiet and they seem to have a lot on their minds.”
Restaurateurs such as Jamie Leeds, the chef-owner of Hank’s Oyster Bar, were bracing for a significant drop in customers, especially in neighborhoods anchored by large event spaces.
“The Anthem is a huge driver of business for us,” said Leeds, referring to the huge new concert venue in Southwest Washington that has canceled all events until April 1.
But Leeds, who has three other locations in the D.C. area, said the restaurant is also a neighborhood destination with many regulars.
Leeds said she supports the Anthem’s decision to cancel events. “It’s important to follow the guidance of the city and what’s best for people’s safety,” she said.
Laura Vozzella in Richmond and Erin Cox, Fritz Hahn, Marissa J. Lang, Luz Lazo, Justin Wm. Moyer and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.