The CFO of DC stated that the District was able to financially weather two mild recessions in early April. The mayors shutdown with council’s response increases spending while the revenues are drastically reduced, and i hypothesize that surplus funds will be completely expendted by June and cuts to the mayor’s special-interest offices will need to be made.

I conducted some analysis on COVID-19 with the data provided by the district, here is the cases count by ward through May 31st:

Here are some observations:

• Ward 3 (the gray line) was reported to have 226 cases on April 19th, then 223 on the 20th, and then 215 on the 21st, resulting in -3 and -8 cases on the 20th and 21st. How did this happen? Or, if the data was changed, why wasn’t it fixed in the prior days? Other wards show similar phenomena.
• No data on age or other medical condition/complications have been made available. Comorbidity numbers are still not published on DC’s website (as of 25 September). According to the CDC, deaths where COVID is the only condition is 6% of all the reported COVID deaths. That turns the death count in DC from 628 (as of October 1st) to 38 deaths.
• No data on the rate of asymptomatic subjects has been released. A report found that up to 50% of positive cases are asymptomatic.
• An average of 241 ventilators and 94 ICU beds were available through the period of April 23rd.

Since their hasn’t been a scarcity of critical hospital resources, I recommend easing the stay-at home order and allow businesses to operate, reminding the people to take their own precautions. I’m sure District Taco can figure out a way to create burrito bowls and keep their employees and customers protected at the same time.

Unfortunately, the current DC council members nor many candidates for council have advocated for these position. I imagine DC will be the last 25% of states/places that open. Hardly ‘progressive’.

(I posted the last paragraph on April 23rd. NAILED IT!)

For the 628 lives that the loss was attributed to COVID, the breakdown of ages is below:

For the dozens of businesses that have permanently shut their doors, I believe a reflective reading of their names needs to be publicized. Let’s not forget them, and cherish the ones that are still with us.

U St Music Hall

Twins Jazz

Matchbox

7th Hill Pizza

Eighteen Street Lounge

Wisdom Bar

Rebellion

Firehook Bakery (Cleveland Park location)

CodMother

Monmartre

Beefsteak

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co

Taco Bamba

Naf Naf Grille

Maddy’s Taproom

Bistro Bohem

Hilton Brothers

A Rake’s Progress

America Eats Tavern

DC Eagle

B Too

Fado Irish Pub

Momofuku

Post Pub

The Source

Dolcezza

Capitol Lounge (they tweeted that they’ll be back)

THINK OF THE CHILDREN

According to the World Health Organization:

“Lockdowns, school closures and movement restrictions have left far too many children stuck with their abusers, without the safe space that school would normally offer. It is urgent to scale up efforts to protect children during these times and beyond, including by designating social service workers as essential and strengthening child helplines.”