The mayor of Washington, D.C., joining a growing number of leaders across the country, issued a stay-at-home order for the entire city amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday afternoon issued a stay-at-home order for the District of Columbia, reinforcing a previous direction for residents to only leave their home for essential activities. The order came the same day as Maryland and Virginia, the two states that surround the nation’s capital, declared lockdowns.
“Our message remains the same: stay home,” Bowser said. “Staying at home is the best way to flatten the curve and protect yourself, your family, and our entire community from COVID-19. Many people want to know how they can help right now, and for most people this is how — by staying home.”
Bowser’s order specifies that D.C. residents may only leave their homes for the following reasons: engage in essential activities, such as obtaining medical care; perform essential government services; work in essential businesses; essential travel; and also “allowable” recreational activities.
Muriel Bowser speaks onstage during the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Theo Wargo/Getty Images.
“Any individual who willfully violates the stay-at-home order may be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both,” Monday’s order read.
There were roughly 400 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far in Washington, D.C., according to the latest statics. The combined cases in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are near 3,000.
“We are no longer asking or suggesting Maryland residents stay home, we are directing them to do so,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan earlier Monday, directing the residents in his state to remain under a stay-at-home order.
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