DC mayor says the city is on track for gradual reopening

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said Tuesday that the city is on track for its gradual reopening, despite a “setback” in the number of coronavirus cases over the weekend. 

The mayor reported at her daily press conference that 109 new cases were recorded by the city on Memorial Day, a decrease from Sunday’s 115 new cases and Saturday’s 144 new cases. D.C. has documented a total of 8,334 positive cases, according to the city’s health department.

The increase in new cases on Saturday was “outside the expected ups and downs,” Bowser added.

“This morning, we reported that we are now at 13 days of sustained decline, which means that if the trend holds we will be able to report 14 days of decline tomorrow,” she said.

Bowser said the city could still begin its reopening on schedule on Friday, which she will announce Wednesday. 

“We will continue to follow the science and begin our phased reopening when the data suggests that we can,” she added. 

LIVE: Updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) response in the District. Learn more: https://t.co/MEWs6uPfsI https://t.co/tt9MIIBalj

— Mayor Muriel Bowser #StayHomeDC (@MayorBowser) May 26, 2020

It is unclear what the phased reopening will entail, but an advisory group suggested outdoor dine-in restaurant service, and golf courses and tennis courts could reopen. The group said barbershops and hair salons should restart by appointment only, and groups of 10 can meet in places of worship, NBC Washington reported.

The mayor also reported on Tuesday that no D.C. residents had died from COVID-19 on Memorial Day, the first day in about seven weeks without a death. But she warned that “we’re likely not done with fatalities related to COVID.”

D.C. has recorded 440 deaths due to the coronavirus.

Most states around the country have started their reopening process, including Maryland and Virginia, but D.C. has yet to start reopening.