DC fights to enforce distancing and braces for looming surge

[turbinetree]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Associated Press

By ASHRAF KHALIL
15 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pick-up basketball games. Crowds gathering at an outdoor fish market. Family hikes along trails in Rock Creek Park. The warmer weather is bringing violations of social distance guidelines in the nation’s capital, even as health officials predict the city could become one of the next U.S. hot spots in the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1,200 people have tested positive, with 22 deaths, in Washington. But national and local health officials predict that the worst is yet to come.

Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that models predict the virus would peak in the District of Columbia in May or June and would result in nearly 1 in 7 Washington residents infected by the end of the year and a high-end death toll over 1,000.

“We are concerned that the next wave … that D.C. could be in the second wave,” Bowser said. “We want the message to get in everybody’s head — that we see a level of infection in our city that if we aren’t strict in our social distancing, the community spread will continue and we will have more people succumb to illness and perhaps death.”


Read more: https://apnews.com/e385038e91b655311219ffe23f130da9

[lagomorph777]

1. With any luck, the presence of Trump in DC will repel tourists this year.

Please people, if you're planning a DC trip, plan it for next year.

[appalachiablue]

2. K/R For exposure

[nycbos]

3. WTF is wrong with people?

[IronLionZion]

4. Are you in NYC?

it's harder to social distance in a city. There are people everywhere and folks often live in smaller apartments.

[nycbos]

5. Yes I am.

I am fully aware that city life makes social distancing harder.


But the first line of the article talks about "Pick-up basketball games. Crowds gathering at an outdoor fish market. Family hikes along trails in Rock Creek Park."


That isn't necessary and it is stupid.

[IronLionZion]

9. I agree with you, but I understand why people do it. nt

[More_Cowbell]

6. It would be easier if Trump wasn't undermining things every day

People are getting really tired of the self-quarantine in California, where I am. If we had a national leader who was giving us accurate information and showing us that measures were working, it would be easier, I think. But we have the toddler in chief.

[MichMan]

8. Isn't the governor giving daily updates on what is going on in your state?

Our governor has a televised news conference every day to provide the latest status. Every state has unique situations and problems right now, I expect the state and local elected officials to be the one to provide that kind of information.

Why is DC still permitting pick up basketball games. Mayor of Detroit has ordered all the hoops in city parks to be taken down for just that reason.

[MichMan]

7. Same thing in Detroit

Even given the stay at home orders, you have entire families shopping in grocery stores, bored people wandering the aisles at Lowes to buy gardening supplies, flats of petunias, & lumber for home remodeling projects, and guys buying wax and polish at auto part stores. Parents taking their children to congregate in playgrounds

Mayor of Detroit finally had to order basketball hoops in city parks taken down because idiots just won't listen and use common sense

[JudyM]

10. Locking

Sorry, but this is more analysis/status report than important breaking news as LBN requires. Please repost in GD or DC instead.