Mayor Bowser Extends Stay At Home Order and Public Health Emergency Through June 8th

Mayor Muriel Bowser issued Mayor’s Order 2020-066 to extend the District’s public emergency and public health emergency and continue to require individuals to stay home through June 8, 2020. The Mayor’s Order can be found here.

“The continued sacrifices by residents and businesses are saving lives and helping us get to the other side of this incredibly difficult time for our city,” said Mayor Bowser. “Together, by staying home a little longer, soon we will be able to reopen DC safely and sustainably.”

As the District continues to prepares to #ReOpenDC, the Mayor today outlined several criteria based on federal guidance that the District must meet before beginning phased reopening:

• COVID-19 Case Decline

• 14-day sustained decrease in community spread

• Transmission rate of fewer than 1.0 for three days

• Testing Capacity

• Ability to test the following groups: symptomatic, at-risk health care workers, essential workers, and close contacts of all new positive cases

• Health Care System Capacity

• Less than 80% health care capacity (without medical surge) over seven-day period

• Public Health System Capacity

• Contact tracing attempt of new cases within one day, and contact tracing attempt of their close contacts within two days

The Mayor ordered the District to examine several areas to prepare for eventual reopening. The Department of Parks and Recreation shall determine whether any of its outdoor facilities, including park athletic fields and dog parks, but not playgrounds, may safely open to members of the public for allowable recreational activity. In addition, the City Administrator shall develop a recommended plan for the restoration of office-based and other site-based District government operations.

The Mayor’s Order also requires the use of masks or face coverings for all individuals in the District while they are engaging in:

• Essential business or minimum basic operations for nonessential businesses when other persons are present.
• Essential travel if social distance cannot be maintained.

Individuals would not have to wear a mask when participating in Allowable Recreational Activities or when engaging in essential travel if they can maintain social distance. Masks continue to be required for public transit employees and operators, and for all users and operators of taxis, Transportation Network Companies, and private transportation providers. The requirement to wear masks or face coverings shall not apply to:

• Children under the age of nine years old. Parents are strongly encouraged to have their children between two and nine years old wear a mask.

• Individuals experiencing homelessness.

• Individuals who cannot wear a mask or face covering due to a medical condition or disability, or who are unable to remove a mask without assistance
  
  
• Non-essential businesses remain closed, and DC students will continue to learn at home. Large gatherings of more than 10 individuals not of the same household continue to be prohibited in the District.

For more information on the District’s response, visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

 

Reach Across the Stars: A Universe of Explorers

The app allows you to journey to Mars in 3D with Ellen Stofan, the John and Adrienne Mars director of our National Air and Space Museum. Ask Stofan questions to hear about her hardest professional moment, her favorite rock, and when she thinks humans will be able to travel to Mars.  Click here for more information on installing and using this application.

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Here is the linked email address for those who are interested -gwreachingout@gmail.com

You may have heard, but if not, the DC Library system has gone fine-free! Forget about grace periods -- you have until you've finished the book to bring it back (we'd prefer sooner than later, of course, but if you're reading Capital in the Twenty-first Century by Thomas Piketty, for example, we understand that it might take you more than a month. There will still be a charge for lost books, however, so please! Don't lose them! 
 
But for now -- don't return books until they reopen; just hold onto them. Fines have been suspended during the stay-at-home order.
 
Speaking of free: many of our digital resources that were only available in a branch are now available to you at home! (They were always free, of course.) I know that the listservs are excellent sources of recommendations for all sorts of things, but if you want more, DC Library has Washington Consumers' Checkbook and Consumer Reports in our collection.
 
To access Washington Consumers' Checkbook, click here: https://www.dclibrary.org/consumerscheckbook You will need to enter your library account, then create an account using your e-mail address.
 
Click here for Consumer Reports, enter your library card number, then click on the Consumer Reports link on the page that will open.

 

YOGA CLASS FOR SENIORS
  

Want to try a new type of exercise while you are home?

Try Yoga for Seniors-click on the link Yoga for Seniors

DANCE CLASS FOR SENIORS
  

Do you prefer to dance when you exercise? 

Try the Senior Gold Dance Workout-click on the link here-
Senior Gold Dance Workout

 

 

Get Medicare Info on Your Cell Phone

Did you know that you can now get some of the most-used information from the Medicare.gov website on your mobile phone? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has a new app, called "What's Covered," that is available for free in both Google Play and the Apple App Store. For more information, you can read about the app on the CMS website.

As many of you know "Villages" are lending a helping hand to seniors across the country.
Click here to take a look at an with Georgetown Village.  

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Click here to read this informative article which mentions five lifestyle habits that could decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 percent. 

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Villages in the DC area work closely together and share resources and invite each other to participate in our larger programs. Below are some programs we have been invited to attend by other DC Villages.

Northwest Neighbors Village has developed a Virtual Speaker Series and would like to invite all villages.  Please Click here for information.

Tuesday, May 26, 1:30 pm
Your Closet:  Friend or Foe?

Speaker: Susan O. Singer, Founder and Owner of Closet Curator, Wardrobe Consultant and Personal Stylist www.closetcurator.com

A conversation about clearing your closet and defining your wardrobe. The Closet Curator will offer tips and tools for creating new looks, as well as how to purge and organize your closet. 

Every first and third Tuesday (via Zoom)
from 2:30 – 3:45
Contact:  Phyllis Kramer

If you are interested in participating in the group, please email Phyllis directly at pfkramer38@gmail.com

Foggy Bottom West End Village is opening its Caregivers’ Support Group to new members in May and is welcoming members of several neighboring villages, including ours.  Whether you are currently in a caretaking role or were in the past and still want to address it, you’re welcome to participate
 
The facilitator of the group, Phyllis Kramer, is a licensed clinical social worker who has over three decades of experience working with people struggling with depression, grief, and the complexity of caretaking roles.
 
If you are interested in participating in the group, please contact via email at pfkramer38@gmail.com