Dear Neighbor,
This past week marked one year since we first declared the public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this pandemic's effects have been devastating, we are thankful that there is light at the end of the tunnel. To date, over 14% of DC residents are partially or fully vaccinated, and over 150,000 first doses have been administered. We are also expecting that 24,000 units of the vaccine will be delivered to the District this week. Today, we continued to advocate for a digital record of vaccinations and clearer guidelines for our businesses, restaurants, event spaces, theaters, and music halls as we get more of our residents vaccinated.
Earlier this month, the Council extended the Mayor’s authority to declare the public health emergency through May 20 -- which she has done. This week, the Mayor also shared new guidance concerning schools, outdoor gatherings, activity in public spaces such as restaurants and fitness centers, and cultural institutions. There is more information on this below.
Please don't forget that the District's vaccination pre-registration system is now live. All residents 16 and older can now pre-register for a vaccination appointment by visiting vaccinate.dc.gov or contacting the Call Center at 1-855-363-0333.
On a final note, I want to share that our office is receiving an unprecedented amount of emails and calls. Please be assured that we are working very hard to respond to each inquiry and will get back to you as quickly as we can. Thank you for your patience and for staying engaged. As always, please remember to wear your mask, wash and sanitize your hands, and maintain a safe social distance when in public – we will get through this, together.
Yours in Service,
Brooke
In this Newsletter, You Will Find Information on:
- Vaccine Eligibility Updates
- The New Pre-Registration System
- How to Obtain an Appointment
- Updated Guidance Concerning Schools and Public Activity
- Parking Enforcement
- Translated Resources and Language Access
- Transportation Assistance
The New Pre-Registration System
All District residents can pre-register for vaccination appointments using the District’s new vaccination pre-registration portal.
To sign up, residents should submit their information through vaccinate.dc.gov or via the call center at 1-855-363-0333. The Call Center will operate Monday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
After you’ve pre-registered, you will receive an invitation to book an appointment via call, text, or email. Invitations will be sent Thursdays and Sundays by 10:00 a.m. If there are any appointments that need to be filled, invitations will be sent again on Tuesdays by 10:00 a.m.
The Department of Health is working to ensure that all individuals, along with a secondary contact, receive up-to-date notifications regarding their vaccination appointment.
Who is Eligible to Recieve the Vaccine? Who is Eligibile to Pre-Register?
This week, the District Government expanded vaccine eligibility to all essential workers in Phase 1B Tier 3 and Phase 1C Tier 1. At this time, the following individuals are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:
- Senior Citizens (individuals who are age 65 and over);
- Individuals who work in health care settings;
- Members of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department;
- Residents of long-term and intermediate care facilities and residents of community residential facilities/group homes;
- DC residents who are 65 years old and older;
- Individuals experiencing homelessness;
- Members of the Metropolitan Police Department;
- Personnel responsible for Continuity of District Government;
- Teachers and staff who are, or will be, working in person at a traditional or public charter school;
- Licensed Child Care Providers;
- Teachers and Staff of Independent Schools in DC;
- Department of Corrections Employees;
- Grocery Store Workers;
- Health and Human Services and Social Services Outreach Workers;
- Manufacturing and Food Packaging Workers;
- Court Staff and Individuals Providing Legal Services;
- Frontline Employees of Public (Mass) Transit;
- Employees of the US Postal Service;
- Staff Working in Food Services;
- Essential Employees in Local Government Agencies;
- Essential Employees of Public Utility Services;
- Essential Employees in Health, Human, and Social Services Organizations/Agencies who were not vaccinated as Outreach Workers;
- Individuals Working in Commercial and Residential Property Maintenance; and
- Individuals Working in Environmental Services.
Individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 who have qualifying medical conditions are also eligible to receive a vaccination appointment. For a list of qualifying medical conditions, please click here.
How to Obtain an Appointment and Administration of the New Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Appointments may also be obtained directly through the following facilities. Please continue to visit these websites to learn more and find out whether the facility is only accepting former patients or new patients.
- Howard University Hospital
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center
- The George Washington University Hospital
- Sibley Memorial Hospital
- United Medical Center
- Kaiser Permanente members should visit kp.org/DCvaccine
Additionally, vaccination appointments are being made available on Mondays at noon and at 7:00 p.m. through One Medical for individuals working in- person for a licensed childcare provider or an independent or charter school located in the District. The One Medical portal can be accessed through an email sent from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to eligible workers which provided vaccination information.
Those booking appointments will see new locations serving as high-capacity sites where the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered. This one-dose vaccine is the third safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for use in the United States. Users will be able to see when choosing a vaccination site which vaccine will be administered there. However, please know that DC Health is emphasizing that all available vaccines have been proven effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Residents are highly encouraged to take the first vaccine available to them.
Children’s National Hospital: Children's National Hospital: At this time, appointments booked through the portal and call center are open to individuals 18 years old and older. Children’s National Hospital will serve as an access point for 16- and 17-year-olds with qualifying medical conditions. District residents who are 16 or 17 years of age and have a qualifying medical condition and are not an existing patient of Children’s National Hospital or HSC, can pre-register for a vaccination at Children’s National Hospital by following the link posted on coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccinatedc.
We encourage you to sign-up for alerts regarding appointment availability at https://vaccinate.dc.gov.
Updated Guidance Concerning Schools and Public Activity
On Monday, March 15, Mayor Bowser shared the following guidance concerning outdoor and public activity during her Situation Update Presentation.
- DC Health issued updated guidance for schools on best public health practices;
- Restrictions on sports for middle and high school students have been removed;
- Onsite daily symptom screening recommended for school employees/staff/visitors but not students (parents encouraged to monitor students at home);
- Outdoor gatherings can now include up to 50 people;
- As of March 15, some high school sports can resume under DCSAA guidelines;
- Field permits will be issued for the spring season;
- Indoor fitness classes may resume with up to 10 people and outdoor classes with up to 50 people;
- Professional sports may operate with a warrant pursuant to a waiver with plans for fans.
- Alcohol can be sold at restaurants until midnight;
- HSEMA and DC Health will resume approving live entertainment waivers;
- Movie theatres may open with no more than 25 people or 25% capacity in an auditorium, whichever is less;
- Guided museum, exhibition, and gallery tours can resume (250 per floor, 25 persons per room, dining rooms must follow restaurant guidelines);
- Grocery stores may operate buffets only if the staff serves the food;
- Beginning March 29, 18 currently operating libraries will begin offering limited indoor service; and
- The Department of Parks and Recreation will resume 90+ summer camps across all 8 wards with social distancing safeguards in place.
For full details, click here to view the Situational Update Presentation slide show, and scroll all th way to the bottom of the page. You can watch the Mayor's press conference here.
Parking Enforcement
The Department of Public Works will resume parking enforcement for vehicles violating no parking signs in school zones and non-commercial vehicles illegally parked in commercial loading zones. During the period between Monday, March 15 and Friday, March 19, warning tickets only, not fines, will be issued.
Enforcement that remains suspended includes: expired meters, vehicle booting and towing, expired residential parking permits, expired District license plates and inspection stickers, and emergency no parking violations (vehicles will be relocated with charge and will not be ticketed).
Translated Resources and Language Access
Councilmember Pinto advocated for COVID resource documents to be translated into Spanish, so that residents whose primary language is not English could get the help they needed. DC Health has recently provided those documents, which are available near the bottom of the homepage on coronavirus.dc.gov/. Documents will also be made available in additional languages soon. The Call Center will also be connected to 711 to provide support for those communicating with American Sign Language (ASL).
Transportation Assistance
The District’s Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) cover all transportation (free of charge), to and from, all medically necessary covered services and appointments. To request transportation, the Enrollee should call the following number to schedule the service:
AmeriHealth | Call 1-800-315-3485
CareFirst | Call 1-855-824-5693.
Health Services for Children with Special Needs | Call 1-866-991-5433
MedStar | Call 1-866-201-9974