December 11, 2020
Dear Washingtonians,
Our country continues to experience a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Tragically, this week, the United States recorded the highest number of lives lost in a single day since the pandemic began and we are now approaching 300,000 lives lost to this virus.
As we continue through the holiday season, please take the necessary steps to protect yourself, your family and friends, and our community. Celebrate the holidays at home this year. Wear a mask (covering your mouth and nose), even around people you know. Limit your exposure to other people. If you do need to meet up with someone, remember that outside is better than inside; and that even outside, you should wear a mask.
I know that we are all ready for this pandemic to be over. And there is good news: a vaccine is on the way. And we are ready; DC Health has been preparing for the eventual arrival of a vaccine almost since the beginning of the pandemic. Since March, our community has worked hard and sacrificed to save lives and protect our most vulnerable residents. Washington, DC has been a leader in mask usage and testing. Now, we are ready to lead an equitable distribution of a safe and effective vaccine. The next few weeks and months will be critical. A successful vaccination implementation will finally bring an end to this crisis. It will save lives. And when Washingtonians are vaccinated, we can finally come back together.
While we stay vigilant during this surge in cases, we also want Washingtonians to feel hopeful that help is on the way. We know that people have questions about the vaccine, and we will continue to share information and answer those questions, thoroughly and transparently, in the coming days, weeks, and months. You can learn more about our vaccine preparations in yesterday's situational update, and you can also learn more about our Vaccination Plan at coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccine.
Stay safe,
 This holiday season, we are once again urging Washingtonians not to travel – to stay in DC and celebrate with your household.
With COVID cases and hospitalizations on the rise nationwide, Washingtonians are urged to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families. Read DC Health's holiday guidance to learn more about celebrating the holidays safely.
Back to Top
 This week, DC Health completed an audit of mask usage in our community. To conduct the audit, teams from DC Health observed mask usage in public spaces across all eight wards. Our city has been a leader in using masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Now, we can use this data to help us do even better. Some results of the audit are below:
- 83% of those required to wear a mask had a mask visible to the observer; however, only 72% of those required to wear a mask wore the mask correctly.
- The percent of incorrect mask usage was highest among adolescents aged 5-18 years (19%).
- 79% of females required to wear a mask wore their mask correctly, while only 67% of males required to wear a mask wore their mask correctly.
- Differences in correct mask usage were observed by ward. The highest percentage of individuals observed wearing a mask correctly was in Ward 2 (84%). The lowest percentage of individuals observed wearing a mask correctly was in Ward 7 (55%).
See more data from the audit HERE. And use this information to protect yourself, your family, and your neighbors.
Back to Top
 This week, Mayor Bowser reminded District residents to protect themselves against an increase in telephone and online scams targeting individuals’ Social Security numbers (SSN), bank account numbers, and other personal information. The scams often attempt to scare victims into complying with demands for sensitive information. Some perpetrators even make false threats of legal action or cancellation of government benefits.
To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a SSN suspension scam, residents should follow the following prevention and mitigation strategies:
- Ignore anyone who claims that your SSN is suspended.
- Block any phone numbers associated with the scam by adjusting your phone’s settings, block the senders of associated fraudulent emails, and discard any associated mail solicitation.
- Never reveal sensitive personal information such as your Social Security number or bank account information when answering an unsolicited call.
Learn more about protecting yourself from these scams HERE.
To report a scam, visit oig.ssa.gov.
Back to Top
|
