Washington, D.C. to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to those ages 16 and older

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced on Monday that all residents of the nation’s capital over the age of 16 will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine beginning later this month.

Bowser said all Washingtonians ages 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccine on April 19. Essential workers who fall under the third tier of the city’s Phase 1C category, which includes essential higher education employees, individuals working in construction and essential employees working in information technology, will become eligible on April 12. 

All Washington, D.C. residents can pre-register now to schedule appointments for their inoculation.

UPDATE: On Monday, April 19, all DC residents 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

All essential workers in Phase 1C Tier 3 still become eligible on April 12.

Everyone should pre-register now:
Online: https://t.co/BmyOxFg0Qx
Call: 1-855-363-0333#DCHOPE pic.twitter.com/eeSO4I5YU2

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 5, 2021

The announcement comes after Bowser on Monday said that D.C. will relax some COVID-19 restrictions this spring. She said that live entertainment venues will be allowed to have up to 500 attendees beginning on May 1. 

Movie theaters and seated live entertainment will be allowed to operate indoors and outdoors at up to 25 percent capacity. Weddings and other special events will also be allowed indoors and outdoors at 25 percent of a space’s capacity.

Additionally, outdoor races, recreational pools, recreation centers, libraries, museums, galleries, exhibits and nonessential retail sites will be able to open at 50 percent capacity.

More than 162,000 Washington residents have been partially or fully vaccinated, and at least 190,621 people in the city have pre-registered for a vaccine appointment.