Loading...

District of Columbia to Shut Down COVID Centers

March 3, 2023 by Dan McCue
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser wears a face mask to protect against the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, as she leaves a news conference on the coronavirus and the district's response, Monday, July 20, 2020, in Washington. In the face of newly rising infection numbers, Bowser says she'll issue an executive order making face masks mandatory outside the home. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON — In yet another sign that the COVID crisis is largely over, DC Health announced Friday that it will be closing the COVID Centers it opened around the city during the pandemic on Friday, March 31.

The decision to close the COVID Centers came after the district experienced a significant drop in COVID-19 cases, high vaccination uptake, and an increase in the availability of vaccines and testing kits for at-home use, the agency said in a press release.

It noted that similar actions are being taken at the federal level and by other jurisdictions around the nation. 

The COVID Centers were established in January 2022 to provide residents with free and easy access to COVID-19 vaccines, testing and masks at the height of the pandemic. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the time that with the opening of the centers in every ward of the city, “We are doubling down on our commitment to equity and accessibility and ensuring we have the systems in place to support a long-term response that can be dialed up or down and quickly modified to meet our community’s needs.”

At the peak of the pandemic, the centers were open six days a week, as late as 9 p.m., and days off were rotated so D.C. residents always had access to a center nearby.

Over the course of their existence, the district’s COVID Centers distributed more than 1 million free face masks; more than 80,000 doses of COVID-19 and flu vaccines and COVID boosters; over 400,000 rapid antigen COVID testing kits; and nearly 40,000 PCR tests.

DC Health said that while the COVID Centers are closing, residents will still have convenient options to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine, booster or test kits, as needed.

These include through local retailers and pharmacies. In addition, covid.gov/tests offers free at-home COVID-19 tests; testinglocator.cdc.gov directs people to a local free testing location; and vaccines.gov directs people to a local free vaccination site.

Dan can be reached at dan@thewellnews.com and @DanMcCue

  • COVID Centers
  • DC Health
  • health
    • linkedin

    In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    HIV Declines Among Young People, Driving Overall Decrease in New Infections

    ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that estimated annual new HIV infections were 12%... Read More

    ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that estimated annual new HIV infections were 12% lower in 2021 compared to 2017, a drop from about 36,500 infections to about 32,100. According to the CDC, the decline was driven by a 34%... Read More

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    FDA Proposes New, Easy-to-Read Medication Guide for Patients

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration wants to make it easier for patients to understand why they’ve been prescribed... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration wants to make it easier for patients to understand why they’ve been prescribed specific medications and how to ensure they don’t suffer any preventable adverse reactions when taking them. Toward that end the agency has proposed requiring a new... Read More

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Looking to Lose That Belly Flab? AARP Suggests Comprehensive Approach

    WASHINGTON — The evidence is, well, almost everywhere you turn. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 50%... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The evidence is, well, almost everywhere you turn. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 50% of American adults are struggling with belly fat. And the problem becomes more acute as we age. That’s because belly fat, also known as visceral fat,... Read More

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Study Suggests Afternoon Exercise Benefits Those With Type 2 Diabetes

    BOSTON — People who have type 2 diabetes should set aside time to exercise in the afternoon rather than the... Read More

    BOSTON — People who have type 2 diabetes should set aside time to exercise in the afternoon rather than the morning to better manage their blood sugar, according to a study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association. Doctors have long known... Read More

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    CDC Finds Sick Workers at Root of Illness Outbreaks Tied to Restaurants

    ATLANTA — If you're sick and work in the restaurant industry, stay home. That’s at least one underlying takeaway from... Read More

    ATLANTA — If you're sick and work in the restaurant industry, stay home. That’s at least one underlying takeaway from a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found roughly 40% of foodborne illness outbreaks between 2017 and 2019 were at least partly associated... Read More

    May 31, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    VA Relaxes Masking Rules at Health Care Facilities

    WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Tuesday that it is relaxing face mask requirements at all of its... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Tuesday that it is relaxing face mask requirements at all of its medical facilities. Beginning Tuesday, face masks were no longer required in most clinical areas of these facilities. “Now that the [COVID] public health emergency has ended,... Read More

    News From The Well
    Exit mobile version