April 9, 2021

Coronavirus Update: Vaccine Eligibility Opening to All on Monday

Dear Neighbors,

On Monday, April 12th the District will open vaccination eligibility to all
District residents aged 16 and older, which is Phase 2 of DC Health's
vaccination program. While it had been originally announced that we would
enter Phase 2 on May 1st, this change in the timeline will put us into
greater alignment with Maryland and Virginia's programs. Equity measures
and vaccine prioritization (for seniors, those with certain medical
conditions, etc.) will continue during Phase 2. As of April 1st, 162,669
District residents have been fully or partially vaccinated, and the
acceleration of the rollout makes it critical that everyone who is not yet
vaccinated pre-register at [1]vaccinate.dc.gov or by calling the hotline at
1-855-363-0333.

Importantly, while the District doesn't qualify for a [2]FEMA high-capacity
vaccination site on the basis of our population, we have learned that
District residents will be eligible for appointments at the FEMA
vaccination site opening this week at the Greenbelt Metro Station in
Maryland. Here are the steps for pre-registering at the FEMA site (this
site is distributing the two-dose Pfizer vaccine):
1. Go to [3][link removed]
2. Create an account
3. Fill out your information to pre-register
4. On the site selection page, choose the 'Greenbelt Metro' as your
preferred site

If you are selected, you will receive a call from a 240 number to schedule
an appointment. It's OK to register through multiple avenues, such as
through hospitals, pharmacies, the pre-registration portal, and through
this new FEMA site. However, please keep in mind that if you receive a
vaccine outside of the DC Health portal, you should email
[4][email protected] and request that your account be removed from the
system to improve the odds for other registrants.

On a final note, I would like to address a significant issue raised by an
article published last Friday in the Washington Post ([5]story available
here) concerning a report from Giant that their pharmacies had stopped
ordering new vaccines due to DC Health not sending enough residents for
appointments. The story had been updated later in the evening with further
comments from Giant that "it was not the city's fault" and that Giant would
need more staff in order to administer more doses (note that this wasn't a
formal correction).

Not only does this give the impression that Giant backpedaled on their
statements in order to preserve the District's reputation, but it follows
[6]another story detailing how DC Health didn't publicize additional
vaccination opportunities at local pharmacies, leaving the news of
available vaccine appointments to be spread by word of mouth and over
social media.

This leads to one of my greatest frustrations during the rollout: the
inability to openly recognize and directly address problems with the
vaccination program. I don't believe anyone would expect a perfect
performance by any agency under such intense duress and extreme emergency
circumstances, but the inability to acknowledge existing problems means
that we are not properly allocating resources in the right areas. And,
frankly, I believe multiple circumstances can be true in this situation:
vaccine distributors may need more staff in order to scale up operations
and DC Health may need to further fine tune the portal/appointment system
in order to connect more residents with available appointments.

What makes these missteps, and others, all the more frustrating is that DC
Health has recently made significant improvements to the vaccine program
and done outstanding work for vulnerable residents. We have been able to
successfully launch a [7]mobile vaccine clinic, expand [8]mass vaccination
sites and [9]open pop-up sites in communities devastated by coronavirus,
created a Senior Buddies program to provide door-to-door outreach, adopted
new CDC [10]school safety protocols, and coordinated 2,604 doses of vaccine
for our [11]neighbors experiencing homelessness. To date, over 64% of
District seniors are fully or partially vaccinated. These developments are
cause for celebration and, importantly, they demonstrate that DC Health is
most effective when listening to the communities it serves.

On Tuesday night, I received word that the weekly Council-Executive
conference calls (a source of many updates that I've shared in these
newsletters) are being discontinued effective immediately and that our
COVID response discussions will instead be held over Mayor-Council
breakfast meetings. Prior to the pandemic, these breakfast meetings were
held every other month or so, and cancelling our weekly calls represents a
loss in accountability and our ability to problem solve with DC Health.
However, the Mayor-Council breakfast meetings have been televised in the
past, and I will keep residents updated as to any broadcast schedule that
is released so you may tune in to the live discussions.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [12]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

The Public Health Emergency has been extended through May 20th, 2021

Pre-register for the vaccine TODAY at [13]vaccinate.dc.gov

DC Police Reform Commission Releases Recommendations

Report Now Available - Last summer, the Council established a 20-member
Police Reform Commission to examine the operations of the Metropolitan
Police Department (MPD), identify alternatives to traditional policing, and
offer recommendations for improvement. The Commission's final report,
[14]Decentering Police to Improve Public Safety, has finally been released.

This report represents a thorough and thoughtful examination of policing
practices in the District of Columbia. And, as with any comprehensive
review of this scale, the body was not uniform in its thinking; only those
recommendations that received a majority vote were adopted. Central to the
report's conclusion is that the District must decentralize policing as the
primary approach to addressing public safety concerns. This largely means
realigning response services and financial investments in alternatives to
traditional policing, such as behavioral health experts and public safety
programs. The report also notes the need for enhanced wellness programs for
current officers and the reinforcement of enhanced de-escalation training.

For the full report, please click: [15]here. For an executive summary,
please click: [16]here.

Rock Creek Park Trail Rehabilitation Begins

From DCist - D.C. Begins Long-Awaited Rock Creek Trail Rehab And Bridge
Construction

"Major construction on the Rock Creek Park Trail [began Wednesday]
rehabilitating 3.7 miles of the paved trail and adding a new, 110-foot
pedestrian bridge just south of the Beach Drive tunnel near the National
Zoo...The [17]long-awaited project is expected to improve conditions of the
trail — considered un-bikeable at some points — and will repair the section
of the trail near the zoo that [18]collapsed into the stream in 2018. In
addition, the city will add 0.9 miles of trail along Piney Branch Parkway
between Beach Drive and Arkansas Ave NW."

[19]Read the Full Story

Mourning the loss of Elizabeth Davis

Elizabeth Davis, the head of the Washington Teachers' Union, died on Sunday
evening following a car crash in Prince George's County.

"I am deeply saddened by the sudden death of Elizabeth Davis. As she worked
to protect and defend the interests of her members, she also worked to
create safe and effective environments for our students. She was an
outstanding leader and she will be dearly missed." - Councilmember Cheh

Read more about President Davis in DCist: [20]‘She Made Us Feel Seen’:
Elizabeth Davis, President of Washington Teachers’ Union, Dies In Car
Crash.

Free DPR Summer Fun Packs

Camp at Home - The Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) is providing
families with a free at-home summer play experience that brings all the fun
of summer camp straight to your living room or backyard.

DPR's Camp-at-Home Fun Packs are designed for kids ages 3 to 13 and include
a free bag of supplies with games, science experiments, arts & crafts, and
more!

[21]Click Here for a Fun Pack

Kojo Nnamdi Signs Off

Saying Goodbye - After over two decades on the air, The Kojo Nnamdi Show
aired its final episode on April 1st. Kojo will continue to host The
Politics Hour every Friday with Tom Sherwood, but his daily broadcast has
come to an end. Thank you to Kojo Nnamdi and his team at WAMU 88.5 for 23
wonderful years.

[22]Listen to the Final Episode

Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

Funding Needed: Lead Water Service Line Replacement - On April 1st,
Councilmember Cheh was joined by several colleagues in requesting that
Mayor Bowser dedicate a portion of the American Rescue Plan's federal
relief funding for the District's lead water service line replacement
program. There is no level of lead exposure that is safe, and the harms
caused by lead ingestion are most acute for infants and children. The
District has set a goal of replacing every lead water service line by
2030—a goal that will require an additional $350 million in funding.

The American Rescue Plan presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for
the District to comprehensively address lead in local drinking water. To
read Councilmember Cheh's letter in full, please see: [23]Calling for Lead
Water Service Line Replacement Funding.

Lead Free Kids - If your home was built before 1978 and a child under the
age of 6 resides in your household, please mark your calendar for the
Department of Energy & Environment's upcoming webinar series on the
District's Lead Reduction Program. The first event was held Thursday, April
8th, the next event will be held on June 17th.

RSVP here: [24][link removed]

Renters' Rights 101 Training

Do you know your rights as a tenant? - The Office of the Tenant Advocate
(OTA) is offering a series of free DC Tenant's Rights classes, in Spanish
and English, through the fall to help educate tenants on their rights
during the Public Health Emergency and to help prepare for its conclusion.
All events will be held virtually during the pandemic.

The next class will be held on Thursday, April 15th:
* In English: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
* In Spanish: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

To RSVP for a class, please email Nicole McEntee at
[25][email protected] or by calling 202-531-1079. Please reserve your
space no later than April 10th.

Seeking Advocates for the Transit Rider Advisory Council

Serve on the TRAC - The Transit Rider Advisory Council (TRAC) is an
eleven-member advocacy body that helps provide oversight of the District
Department of Transportation (DDOT) and offers input on behalf of public
transit riders on issues concerning the DC Circulator, Streetcar, proposed
changes to fares, new routes, or significant changes to existing routes and
schedules. There are currently four vacancies on the Transit Rider Advisory
Council: representatives from Wards 3, 4, and 8, and one member
representing the Chair of the Committee.

If you are interested in serving on the TRAC, please complete the
application linked below and include a current copy of your resume.
Information and materials provided will not be shared.

Should you have any questions, please contact Michael Porcello, Committee
Director of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, at
[26][email protected] or 202-724-8062.

[27]Click Here to Apply

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

Kindness Spotted in Forest Hills

[28]

[29]

[30]

Mask Up, Stay Safe, Be Kind - A friendly and engaging art project designed
by Ward 3 kids has been installed in the Forest Hills neighborhood to
remind everyone to stay safe and be kind to one another during the
pandemic. Passersby are encouraged to leave an encouraging message to the
community with a piece of chalk.

Today's notes include: stay strong, stay confident, and make the most of
today.

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to reach us via phone through our main line at (202)
724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services
requests.

[31]Facebook [32]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

References

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