Like most cities in the United States, the District of Columbia has been under a stay-at-home order since Mayor Bowser announced it on March 30th, 2020. Since then, more than 105,000 people have filed unemployment compensation claims in the District. Following the CDC’s and Government regulations that recommend a state (city) have a 14 day decrease in COVID-19 cases prior to reopening, Mayor Bowser and The District of Columbia have decided to reopen the city on Friday, May 29th, 2020.
With venue closures, and many bars and restaurants forced to close because of the lockdown restrictions- many service and hospitality industry workers were suddenly faced with the reality of being unemployed. Those who kept their jobs faced reduced hours and the risk of being exposed to the virus themselves. The reopening of the city and it’s business are instrumental to the livelihood of the residents, and the local economy.
Under Phase 1 of the Mayor’s reopening plan (link under), many of the recommendations set into place under the stay-at-home order will not be mandated, but still strongly recommended.
1. During Phase 1: Individuals working in, living in, and visiting Washington D.C., are no longer required to stay in their residences.
2. When leaving their residence, all individuals must continue to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet from persons not in their household. except if such distance is impossible to maintain (such as when obtaining medical services or a haircut)
3. Wearing a face-mask or face-covering is one tool to protect an individual’s own health, and health of others, but it does not replace social distancing. DOH guidelines about masks must be followed, as must the applicable orders of any regulatory agency for a specific activity. Such directives can be found at coronavirus.dc.gov/phaseone
With various cities and states reopening their doors, we can only hope that we have, and will continue to flatten the curve of this pandemic. By following applicable regulations and rules, the District of Columbia is projected to make progress towards an economic recovery.
” Provided a gradual reopening of businesses starts this summer and there’s not another pandemic-related shutdown, DeWitt estimates that actual recovery will start in the fall and take up to two years. Even then, the recovery will be uneven- he estimated that half of the city’s bars and restaurants that fully closed down won’t reopen, and that hotels could take up to five years to see their occuplancy rates and revenue return to normal. But he did sound one note of cautious optimism.
“The recovery will probably be better than most places.” he said. “The federal government is here, (and) don’t underestimate the resiliency of the restaurant industry and other entrepreneurs to come back. But it’s a hit. ”
