July 3, 2020
Dear Washingtonians,
As we head into the holiday weekend, I want to remind everyone that this year we are asking you to celebrate at home or close to home. COVID-19 is still in our city, region, and nation; in fact, in many places, new cases and hospitalizations are on the rise. There will be more Fourth of Julys and more holidays to celebrate, but we only get one chance to respond to this pandemic.
If you plan to host people this weekend or plan to attend someone else's gathering, read this guidance from DC Health on hosting and attending private gatherings. Here are some important tips:
- While outdoor gatherings are preferred over indoor gatherings, the virus can still spread outdoors
- Consider how much space everyone will have to social distance and discourage people from gathering in groups
- Make sure guests know that they should not come to your event if they feel sick; and if someone in your household does not feel well, cancel the event
- Keep a list of guests in case it is needed for contact tracing
- Ensure guests can practice proper hand hygiene - have soap and water and hand sanitizer available
- Limit the use of shared items
- Consider providing cleaning supplies for guests to wipe down and sanitize shared surfaces such as handles and bathrooms
- And, of course, wear a mask
It may seem awkward at first, but please make sure that before you go to any cookouts or gatherings, you ask your host how many people they invited, how much space they have, and what precautions they are taking to keep guests safe.
We all miss our friends and family and we miss having a sense of normalcy, but we also have a shared responsibility to protect ourselves and others. Stay safe this weekend and choose your activities wisely.
Sincerely,
 The Fire Department has been working with multiple agencies to go out into neighborhoods with “Go Teams” – these teams check on areas where we are concerned about firework use and engage residents about firework safety.
The Go Teams will continue to go out through the holiday, and on Friday and Saturday they will be joined by our “Safety Teams” which will be stationed in every ward. Similar to Go Teams, our Safety Teams canvass and monitor neighborhoods for firework safety issues.
If you think you need a Go Team or a Safety Team to visit your neighborhood or if you have other fireworks concerns, call the Fire Marshal’s Office at (202) 727-1614 or email fems.fireprevention@dc.gov
Back to Top
 Learn more about this weekend's road closures HERE.
Back to Top
 Have you filled out the 2020 Census? Can you take a minute to text three other Washingtonians and ask if they've filled it out?
Spread the word: The Census takes less than ten minutes to complete and makes a big difference for DC.
Fill out the Census and learn more at my2020Census.gov
Back to Top
 Free COVID-19 testing continues to be broadly available across DC. Walk-up testing sites are free and do not require an appointment.
Learn more about testing sites at coronavirus.dc.gov/testing
Back to Top
|
