DC Estimates 93K Residents Will Get Coronavirus, Up to 1,000 Will Die
Officials in Washington, D.C. expect as many as 93,000 residents (approximately 13% of the population) will be infected with the coronavirus, and 220 to over 1,000 people will die. A
Officials in Washington, D.C. expect as many as 93,000 residents (approximately 13% of the population) will be infected with the coronavirus, and 220 to over 1,000 people will die. A peak in cases and hospitalizations is expected this summer.
Friday morning Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the estimates based on models. She called the 93,000-person assessment a “tough number to have to report.” The estimated number considers that some residents will not practice social distancing, and includes people who recover.
A peak in cases and hospitalizations is expected “somewhere around the end of June and beginning of July,” Bowser said in remarks at the D.C. Armory.
The number of residents affected by the virus is increasing by the day, the head of the health department said.
“We’re continuing to see an increase on a daily basis of the number of patients who are in all District hospitals related to COVID-19,” Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said.
D.C. Public Schools will not reopen on April 27 as planned, the mayor said. A late date will be announced soon.
DC @MayorBowser says @dcpublicschools will NOT R re open April 27. “In fact I can say we’re not going to open on April 27. After we’ve consulted with our public education team we’ll get back to you with a firm date”. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/guprIZXF4B
— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) April 3, 2020
“When we look at those numbers, it bears repeating that everybody needs to stay home. We can drive down the number of infections, hospitalizations and demand for very, very precious PPE,” she said.
Aside from the grim numbers, the mayor offered a message of hope. “We will get on the other side of this, and we will get back to life in our beautiful, thriving city,” she said.
What To Know
- About 13% of D.C.’s population is expected to be infected with coronavirus, the mayor said.
- College dorms, hotels, and the Washington Convention Center are being evaluated as potential sites for hospital beds.
- The number of cases and hospitalizations is expected to hit a peak in June or July.
