DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says one in seven Washington residents could be infected with COVID-19

Washington DC’s mayor said during a Friday press conference that bleak projections show that one in seven of the city’s residents could be infected with the coronavirus. 

Democrat Muriel Bowser said that roughly 93,000 people could contract COVID-19 in the city, according to model projection city officials are relying on. 

Included in the projection are people who have tested positive for the virus but have since recovered, the Washington Post reports. 

‘This is a tough number to have to report,’ Bowser said. ‘But we think that we’d rather be on the side of underestimating the impacts of social distancing than presenting too rosy a picture’

‘This is a tough number to have to report,’ Bowser said. ‘But we think that we’d rather be on the side of underestimating the impacts of social distancing than presenting too rosy a picture.’ 

Bowser speculated that a peak in hospital patients could be expected in June or by July. She added that hundreds will die from the virus in the city. 

As of Saturday morning, there have been 761 cases confirmed cases of the virus and 15 fatalities. 

‘We expect that we could experience a range of loss of life in our city,’ Bowser said. ‘The mild estimate is that 220 people would succumb to the disease. A moderate would be 440, and the severe estimate would be more than 1,000 people.’

As of Saturday morning, there have been 761 cases confirmed cases of the virus and 15 fatalities

Bowser explained that the city reached its projection by using a computer model that differs from the method used by the White House and is more pessimistic. 

‘This is certainly a global pandemic of proportions that none of us could have predicted, but we will get through this,’ Bowser said. ‘And we will get on the other side of this, and we will get back to life in our beautiful, thriving city.’

The mayor has not yet made a decision on whether to extend the public health emergency and the associated restrictions that are to be in place through April 24. 

Based on the current model, however, schools are not expected to reopen on April 27 as planned.      

Virginia Gov Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan both announced that they were going on lockdown on Monday, joining at least 25 other states who have done the same since the outbreak began. 

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov Larry Hogan both announced that they were going on lockdown on Monday

Bowser soon followed suit for Washington DC. 

‘Our message remains the same: stay home,’ Bowser said.

More than 7,100 people have died in the United states from the virus

‘Staying at home is the best way to flatten the curve and protect yourself, your family, and our entire community from COVID-19.

‘Many people want to know how they can help right now, and for most people this is how – by staying home.’

Like all of the stay-at-home orders, residents can leave for essential reasons such as to travel to work, seek medical attention and get food.

Any individual who willfully violates the stay-at-home order may be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both, the mayor’s statement reads.