D.C. Health officials reported that while the vaccine mandate would be lifted on February 15, mask mandates would start to be dialed back on March 1. Businesses will be permitted to keep vaccine requirements if they so desire.
This comes as the city has been in a face-off with some small businesses that have declined to comply with the vaccine requirements, including Big Board, a defiant restaurant. The city pulled its liquor license.
D.C. sees improvements in its COVID-19 metrics, and jurisdictions in the D.C. area and across the nation lift limitations. COVID-19 cases have dropped by over 90% in the District since the height of the Omicron wave, according to D.C. Health. There has been a 95% reduction in hospitalizations.
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Bowser announced that pulling back mask mandates is not a premature move.
“We have to be nimble if something is to change like it changed in December with a new, very contagious variant,” she stated. “I don’t think any of us can say here that there won’t be other variants that would require us to do something different.”
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The mayor explained why she isn’t rolling back D.C. Public Schools students and staff requirements.
“We continue to work with our school communities over what they think it will take to keep kids safe and in school,” she stated. We thought our last group of little ones would have access to the vaccine in February, but it turns out it’s going to be some time later. So I don’t think we’ll have a decision about schools anytime soon.”
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The District will scale back testing sites. After February 26, COVID-19 testing will no longer be available at firehouses.
Kathy E. Hollinger, President, and chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, explained the association was “pleased” with Bowser’s choice to lift the vaccine mandate. Doing so “will allow more flexibility for local businesses to determine what makes the most sense for the health and safety of employees, guests, and operations,” she stated.
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Darren Norris, owner of the bar Death Punch and Shibuya Eatery in Adams Morgan, was surprised to hear the vaccine mandate was ending so shortly. Under the mandate, customers needed to confirm they had at least one vaccine dose by January 15. The requirement for two doses would have taken effect Tuesday.
Staffers at the bar and restaurant had settled into asking patrons for a vaccine card. Norris stated that he’d heard that some guests said knowing that everyone in the building was vaccinated made them feel more comfortable.
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