Treyfish
Moderator
Bowser issues order telling Washingtonians to stay home, following directives in Md. and Va.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) issued a formal stay-at-home order Monday afternoon, following similar directives from the governors of Maryland and Virginia. Her office said the new order “reinforces the Mayor’s direction to residents to stay at home except to perform essential activities.”
As in Maryland and Virginia, the D.C. order allows people to leave their homes for essential errands such as grocery shopping, essential travel, some outdoor recreation and to perform business and government functions deemed essential. Individuals who “willfully” violate the order face criminal penalties, including up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $5,000.
Asked repeatedly over the past week why she has not issued a formal stay-at-home order, Bowser has maintained that she was already urging residents to do so. The city sent an emergency wireless alert last week about the business closure order and telling people to stay home.
On a Monday call with D.C. Council members, she added that enforcement was a concern for a formal stay-at-home order.
“We have to enforce orders, or they are worthless,” the mayor told lawmakers, according to people on the call.
Northam said he is not threatening fines or criminal penalties for violations of his order — though criminal penalties are possible for those violating the mass gathering ban — while Maryland’s order says residents who “knowingly and willfully” violate the order can be fined or imprisoned. D.C. police have been asking some groups to break up without issuing citations.
Some elected officials have called on Bowser to issue a formal stay-at-home order as a way to get residents to take social distancing more seriously. Other lawmakers, who have been hearing from constituents confused why the city hasn’t issued a formal stay-at-home order, said they sympathized with the mayor’s contention that the debate is essentially one of semantics.
“It’s a labeling issue as far as I can say,” said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). “She’s saying I’m going to repackage it, but we have a stay-at-home order. I wish she just labeled it as such, and then we wouldn’t be getting all these emails...:tiphat:https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md...-live-updates/
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) issued a formal stay-at-home order Monday afternoon, following similar directives from the governors of Maryland and Virginia. Her office said the new order “reinforces the Mayor’s direction to residents to stay at home except to perform essential activities.”
As in Maryland and Virginia, the D.C. order allows people to leave their homes for essential errands such as grocery shopping, essential travel, some outdoor recreation and to perform business and government functions deemed essential. Individuals who “willfully” violate the order face criminal penalties, including up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $5,000.
Asked repeatedly over the past week why she has not issued a formal stay-at-home order, Bowser has maintained that she was already urging residents to do so. The city sent an emergency wireless alert last week about the business closure order and telling people to stay home.
On a Monday call with D.C. Council members, she added that enforcement was a concern for a formal stay-at-home order.
“We have to enforce orders, or they are worthless,” the mayor told lawmakers, according to people on the call.
Northam said he is not threatening fines or criminal penalties for violations of his order — though criminal penalties are possible for those violating the mass gathering ban — while Maryland’s order says residents who “knowingly and willfully” violate the order can be fined or imprisoned. D.C. police have been asking some groups to break up without issuing citations.
Some elected officials have called on Bowser to issue a formal stay-at-home order as a way to get residents to take social distancing more seriously. Other lawmakers, who have been hearing from constituents confused why the city hasn’t issued a formal stay-at-home order, said they sympathized with the mayor’s contention that the debate is essentially one of semantics.
“It’s a labeling issue as far as I can say,” said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). “She’s saying I’m going to repackage it, but we have a stay-at-home order. I wish she just labeled it as such, and then we wouldn’t be getting all these emails...:tiphat:https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md...-live-updates/