March 11, 2022

Ward 3 Update:

Dear Neighbors,

Today, Chancellor Lewis Ferebee announced that, starting next Wednesday, March 16th, mask wearing will be optional for all students, staff, and visitors at DC Public Schools (DCPS). This decision follows the new guidance (available: here) released from DC Health that officially lifted the mask mandate, but left the masking policy decision up to the Chancellor/DCPS and individual charter schools. As there is no vaccine yet available for our youngest students, the weekly test-to-stay model for those in our Pre-K programs will continue. Families of older students are encouraged to regularly test in order to detect new cases or breakout cases early to reduce the risk of classroom spread.

With this announcement, DCPS is emphasizing the following five points for families:

1. DCPS will foster an environment where all students and staff, whether they choose to wear a mask or not, feel respected
2. Their layered mitigation strategy remains in effect, this includes asymptomatic testing, enhanced air filtration efforts & cleaning protocols, symptom screening at the door, and the symptomatic & asymptomatic at-school testing program
3. The isolation and quarantine time periods have also been adjusted with DC Health guidelines (the new protocol chart is pictured below)
4. DCPS will continue to notify the community of positive school cases and provide instructions to individuals identified as close contacts
5. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine remains best form of protection for students and our school communities

This last point on vaccinations is especially important to emphasize in the absence of universal masking. With what we now know about the effects of long COVID on children and teens and the risks of further spreading the virus to other, potentially vulnerable, members of their household, inoculation efforts against COVID-19 and staying on one's booster schedule will be critical to creating safer school environments. As a reminder, anyone in the District who is over the age of 5 and in need of the COVID-19 vaccine or a booster may get vaccinated at any local COVID Center (these sites also provide children's sized KN95 masks, adult KN95 masks, and rapid tests).

DC Health has also shifted from reporting daily case data to reporting weekly case data. Furthermore, the data that DC Health will be reporting is the weekly case rate (not the actual number of new cases. For example, the past week's weekly case rate is 55.5 cases per 100,000 residents, which puts the District in the low-risk category of severity and community spread. On our last Council-Executive pandemic response conference call, DC Health indicated that they are representing the data in this new way in an effort to help residents realistically evaluate their degree of risk and safety as part of the broader community of over 700,000 residents.

For the best visualization of this data, click on the 'Key Metrics' tab under Data on the District's coronavirus website.

On a final and separate note, earlier this afternoon, an elderly driver crashed his SUV into the outdoor dining area of the Parthenon restaurant on the 5500 block of Connecticut Ave. Two women have died as a result. Nine others were seriously injured, with eight people taken to nearby hospitals (three of whom remain in critical condition). Early accounts indicate that this was a circumstance of a driver who lost control of his vehicle, but we will learn more about the circumstances once MPD's major crash investigations team completes their investigation. In the meantime, please keep the neighbors we have lost, those who are injured, their families, and the Chevy Chase community in your heart tonight.

Regards,

Mary

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 email or phone through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services requests.

FOLLOW MARY