March 5, 2021 Dear Washingtonians, This weekend marks one year since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Washington, DC. At yesterday's situational update, I was asked to share my reflections on the past year, and I want to share them with you here: This time last year, I don't think anybody expected that we would have to shut down our city – close schools; send people home from work; modify our thriving hospitality, arts, and entertainment industries; have our hospitals and health care workers fighting a deadly virus, at first, with limited supplies; and to have lost over 1,000 Washingtonians. I don't think that any of us expected it. But I have to say how proud I am of my team, and how proud I am of DC residents. You may remember when we met at the Armory at the start of the pandemic. One reporter looked at our model and thought it was the most ridiculous thing that he had seen because we thought that we would hit 1,000 fatalities in November. And all of us thought he was kind of right, that that probably wasn't going to happen to us. Early on, I thought it was going be over by the summer. I didn't think that we'd go into the fall and a deadly winter. But we did. This virus has been hard. Dealing with something and fighting something for a year is also hard. But DC residents blunted the curve. You did it by your actions. You sacrificed a lot. But it has allowed our hospitals and our hospital workers to be able to have what they need to support people and to save lives. And when we started that press conference at the Armory, that was our charge: how do we blunt this curve so our hospitals can be prepared for people who get sick, and then how can we stop so many people from getting sick. And now it is our charge to crush it. It's in sight. So, don't give up yet because it's in sight. Our charge is: how do we crush it so that we can get back to normal, get people vaccinated, go back to school, go back to work, and get our wonderful thriving city back. And we're optimistic about it. And what I just described is the human toll; the economic toll is a whole other story. We've had many people who haven't been that affected economically, some are even better off. And then others have been wiped out – their businesses, their savings, their hope about what's coming next. And everything that we do on our recovery has to be about how do we support them in this period of relief. And then how do we come back even stronger and build those jobs back and allow those people to get back to normal. It's not over yet. But as bad as it's been, because of people's sacrifice, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But it's not over yet. So, we need everyone to continue to follow Dr. Nesbitt's advice, and we'll get to the other side of it. Sincerely,   Mayor Bowser is inviting residents to honor and celebrate the more than 350,000 women and girls living in Washington, DC by participating in the third annual #FITDC HerStory 5K on Saturday, March 20. Participation is free, and the first 1,500 individuals to register will receive a commemorative HerStory t-shirt, face mask, and racer's bib, which will be made available in the days leading up to the 5K via grab-and-go pickup at select Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) locations. Last year's HerStory 5K drew over 2,000 participants to Freedom Plaza. This year, instead of gathering at one location, residents are encouraged to run/walk in their neighborhood or on one of the suggested public 5K routes. DPR will also open select locations with running tracks and allow residents to come and go as they please. Register and learn more at HerStory5k.com. Back to Top  The application deadline for the 2021 Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program was extended until March 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. District youth between the ages of 14 and 24 are encouraged to apply online at summerjobs.dc.gov. In 2020, MBSYEP was able to continue during the pandemic by going online and providing six weeks of telework experience for approximately 9,000 youth. Employers who are interested in supporting young people through the Summer Youth Employment Program can learn more at summerjobs.dc.gov. Back to Top  Since the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, Washington, DC has remained at a heightened state of vigilance and preparedness. To that end, residents and workers are reminded: If you see something suspicious, say something. If you see or hear things that seem out of the ordinary you can: - report immediate threats or emergencies by calling 911
- report suspicious behavior or activity by calling MPD's tip line at (202) 727-9099
- make a report through MPD's iWatch website: iwatchdc.org
- text MPD's tip line at 50411
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