Newsroom

At times, responding to this pandemic has been a bit like building the plane while flying it.

Who are you staying home for? It's an important question to have an answer to as the weeks drag on. I have friends who are working on the front lines of the emergency rooms at our hospitals. I'm staying home for them, because I know they are leaving their families and putting their own safety on the line to treat our neighbors who get ill.

Read the full letter from Councilmember Charles Allen to the Deputy Mayor for Justice and Public Safety regarding the conditions at DC Jail, as reported by court-appointed inspectors:

I hope you’re doing well and staying safe. If you’re like me, it’s a tough adjustment to hear the sounds of Spring all around us, and then see neighbors in face masks from a distance. These are difficult realities we’re all settling in to.

Let me start off this note by saying thank you. I know many, many Ward 6 residents are diligently following physical distancing guidelines and doing their part to stop the spread and flatten the curve. I know it's hard. We’re coming into the critical few weeks where our cases are going to be spiking. If physical or social distancing was super important last week, these next few weeks are critical! Stay inside as much as you can. Prevent. the. spread. 

Today, the District of Columbia Board of Elections announced a significant effort to encourage District voters to use a mail-in ballot for the upcoming June 2 Primary Election and June 16 Ward 2 Special Election.

Breaking News: District closes all non-essential businesses beginning tonight at 10 pm! Beginning tonight at 10 pm, the District will close all businesses deemed "non-essential."

The scope of this public health crisis is deep and wide.

The DC Council approved a wide-ranging emergency bill today that makes significant changes to expand eligibility for unemployment insurance, extend grants to small businesses, and greater temporary powers to the Mayor during this public health emergency.

As promised, I'm reaching back out with the latest information as the District takes steps to mitigate the spread and impact of coronavirus on our community.