July 22, 2022
Dear Washingtonians,
It is going to stay very hot through the weekend, so please take care of yourself and the people around you. We have activated a heat emergency through Monday, which means cooling centers are open citywide. To request free transportation to a cooling center for yourself or someone else, please call the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093.
To help residents beat the heat, we are also keeping select outdoor pools open until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Learn more about which pools have extended hours HERE.
Throughout the weekend, please check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially seniors. Help protect yourself and others from extreme heat by:
- Staying indoors when possible: find places in the shade or with air conditioning to seek relief from the heat.
- Drinking plenty of fluids: increase your fluid intake but don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol, caffeine, or large amounts of sugar.
- Wearing appropriate clothing and sunscreen: pick lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing.
- Keeping pets indoors: walk pets early in the morning, give pets plenty of water, and do not leave pets outside or in vehicles. For all animal emergencies, please call the Humane Rescue Alliance at (202) 723-5730.
Residents are also encouraged to be mindful of your mental and emotional health during extreme heat. Mental health disorders, substance misuse, and certain prescribed medications can increase the risk of heat-related illness. If you begin to feel anxious, depressed, or just not yourself, you can call the District's 24/7 Mental Health Hotline at 1-888-793-4357 to talk to a trained mental health professional or dial 988 to get connected to the suicide and crisis lifeline.
Let's work together to stay cool, stay safe, and beat the heat.
Sincerely,
 This week, Mayor Bowser and Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of DC Health, provided an update on monkeypox and encouraged more DC residents to pre-register for a vaccination appointment at preventmonkeypox.dc.gov.
Monkeypox is a rare, but potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. Often, it is spread during intimate physical contact between people, including sex, kissing, and hugging. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact or when a person touches fabrics, such as bedding and towels, used by a person with monkeypox.
Monkeypox vaccinations are confidential and District residents can pre-register for monkeypox vaccination appointments by visiting preventmonkeypox.dc.gov. Once appointments become available, individuals who have pre-registered will receive an email invitation to make a vaccination appointment. Residents are encouraged to closely monitor their email as they will have 48 hours to claim their appointment. Eligible residents who do not immediately receive an appointment invitation will stay in the system until an appointment becomes available.
Currently, to be eligible for the monkeypox vaccine in DC, a person must be a District resident, 18 years of age or older, and:
- Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and have had multiple (more than one) or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days; or
- Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men; or
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation/gender); or
- Staff (of any sexual orientation/gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)
All residents are invited to pre-register for a vaccination appointment, and those who are not currently eligible will be contacted if eligibility changes and appointments are available.
Visit preventmonkeypox.dc.gov for the latest information on the virus. On Monday, July 25, at 7:00 p.m., DC Health and the Washington Blade will host a Monkeypox Town Hall with medical experts to answer questions about monkeypox. Learn more about the town hall HERE.
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 Starting Monday, July 25, the Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity (ORE), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, is hosting five engagement forums to gain ideas and feedback from residents to help shape the District’s first Racial Equity Action Plan, a roadmap for reducing inequities and improving life for all Washingtonians.
The development of the Racial Equity Action Plan, which will set the direction for all District Government agencies over the next three years, will be guided by four goals:
- Ensure DC Government staff understand and are committed to achieving racial equity.
- Ensure DC Government remains committed to eliminating racial and ethnic inequities.
- Establish and strengthen meaningful community partnerships.
- Highlight DC Government as an equitable employer that engages in racially equitable hiring, promotion, and retention practices.
ORE worked in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs to host both virtual and in-person events. Each forum will feature an interactive workshop that will include an introduction to ORE’s work, a presentation on the plan’s outline and goals, and small conversation groups on the plan’s goals and potential measures of racial equity in the District.
Learn more about upcoming forums HERE.
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 The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is reminding families of the importance of ensuring children receive all required immunizations ahead of the 2022-23 school year. District law requires students in all DC schools, including private, parochial, and independent schools, to be fully compliant with required vaccinations to attend school and that schools verify immunization certification for all students as part of enrollment and attendance.
Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, student immunization requirements include the COVID-19 vaccine for all students of an age for which there is a fully approved vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On July 8, 2022, the FDA fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine commonly known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 12 to 15 years old. The approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 12 to 15 means that, unless exempt, any student age 12-15 at the start of the 2022-23 school year must have received the primary COVID-19 vaccine series or have received their first shot by September 16, 2022. Additionally, unless exempt, any student 16 or older at the start of the 2022-23 school year must have received the primary COVID-19 vaccination series or be proceeding with their series by the start of the school year.
The best place for DC families to access immunizations is at their primary medical provider, as part of their comprehensive well-child care. If a family does not have a health care provider for their child, they can select one from a list of pediatric clinic locations, located in every ward. Other opportunities to get your child vaccinated include:
- School-Based Health Centers – Families with students ages 4 and older can visit any School-Based Health Center, regardless of where the student is enrolled, for a vaccination-only appointment.
- District Mobile Medical Units – DC Health has placed mobile units at schools, and additional sites at recreation centers, COVID centers, and other community locations in all eight wards will be added in August. Families can pre-register for the school-based mobile medical units by using the registration link.
To learn more or to find a pediatric immunization site near you, visit dchealth.dc.gov/immunizations.
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