DC official says city may not reopen for another three months in worst-case scenario

A top Washington, D.C., health official said late Wednesday that it could be another three months before the city resumes normal operations in a worst-case scenario.

LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the D.C. Department of Health, said in a virtual town hall that the “most-stringent” plan for stemming the spread of the coronavirus would prevent the city from reopening for at least three months, NBC4 Washington reported.

Nesbitt added that the least-stringent plan would involve a phased reopening that would not begin for at least two months.

The city’s stay-at-home order is currently set to expire May 15, but Nesbitt said further data is needed to determine what extensions may be necessary, according to the TV station.

The District has seen 3,994 confirmed cases of the virus and 190 reported deaths as of Wednesday.

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) this week contradicted President Trump on the city’s progress in fighting the spread of the virus, saying she believed infections have not yet peaked in D.C.

“We’re looking at all of the information coming in from our scientists and medical experts,” Bowser told CNN’s “New Day” Tuesday. “And even looking to the guidelines put out by the White House corona[virus] task force would suggest that we have to have 14 days of declines in cases in our jurisdiction.”

“Former first lady Michelle Obama is going to do a robocall for us today to vulnerable populations in Washington, D.C., to ask them to pay attention to symptoms,” says Mayor @MurielBowser.https://t.co/hRXO1SAsON pic.twitter.com/Tf3GVXx63X

— New Day (@NewDay) April 28, 2020

Trump had earlier in the day included D.C. in a list of cities where he said the virus was “stable and declining.” He said Denver, Seattle, Indianapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, New York, New Orleans, Detroit, Boston and Houston were also making progress.