Heather Curtis
MARYLAND (WMAL) – The District continues to see a spike in Coronavirus cases. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday there are 67 new cases bringing the total in the city to 653. Twelve people have died including a 13-year employee of D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, which is the juvenile justice agency.
Thursday corrections officers at the D.C. Jail said the city isn’t giving them the PPEs they need to protect themselves and inmates. When asked about this Thursday Mayor Muriel Bowser got defensive.
“Is there a shortage or? What’s the issue?,” ABC 7 reporter Sam Ford asked.
“Is your question is there a shortage of PPE in the nation? Is that your question?” Bowser quipped.
“In D.C that is a…” Ford said. Bowser interrupted. “Is that your question?”
“That is my question. Do you have a shortage?” Ford asked.
“Yes there’s a shortage,” Bowser said.
“So you can’t provide it to them at this point?” Ford asked.
“I have explained what we have to do in our city is make sure we have enough supplies for first responders and our medical staff, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have also…um…trying to secure the surgical masks for all of our frontline workers no matter if they’re first responders, but if they’re providing essential services,” Bowser said.
They aren’t the only ones calling for more equipment to keep themselves safe. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 wrote to the mayor asking her to declare grocery, pharmacy and food processing workers as first responders so they can access equipment needed to keep them safe.
The city has requested equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, which is distributed on an equitable model based on the number of cases of COVID-19 according to Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the director of the District of Columbia Department of Health.
“We have expressed concern that the federal government is stating that the S and S is almost depleted and if they are unable to replenish the S and S and assist us with further requests, we would find that to be of great concern,” Nesbitt said.
As the number of cases of COVID-19 in the District increases, a new drive-through and walk-up testing site will open Friday at the United Medical Center in ward 8. Bowser said D.C. residents with symptoms who are 65 or older, people who work in healthcare facilities, first responders and residents with underlying health conditions are eligible to be tested there, but people have to call ahead to schedule appointments.
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