WASHINGTON — One D.C. leader wants local health officials to release data to the public that shows where COVID transmission is taking place in the community.
On Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced several new regulations in a mayor’s order that are aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus. The new rules included reducing indoor dining capacity to 25%, suspending indoor group exercise classes in gyms, and limiting indoor gatherings to ten people.
D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman said she was happy to see the mayor take proactive steps to limit the coronavirus’ spread.
However, she said she would like to see the D.C. Department of Health release “cluster data” that informs the public as to why gyms, music venues, or restaurants may or may not be riskier locations for coronavirus transmission. Silverman said such data can better show the public where virus transmission is taking place.
“What we're asking for is what's called ‘outbreak data’ and Dr. Nesbitt from D.C. Health has called it ‘cluster data’, which is showing the relationship between COVID patients so that there's evidence that there's an outbreak at a certain location or with a certain type of activity,” she said.
Silverman said she has been requesting the public release of cluster data since the beginning of October. She said she believes the data’s release could help improve the public’s compliance with local coronavirus rules.
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“I'm hearing from a lot of our residents who use group fitness classes, and from their owners, who are saying, ‘We haven't had any outbreaks in our gyms. So why are you shutting us down?’” Silverman said. “I think we need data to drive our decision making. Not only to have that empirical number, but also, I think it will build the trust of the public that we're doing the right thing and there's a reason why we're doing it.”
On Tuesday, in response to the mayor’s order, Orangetheory Fitness announced it would create “open studios” in its gyms where it would show clients how to become their own fitness coaches.
Popular Pilates studio Solidcore said it did not plan to close the doors of its D.C. locations either.
Solidcore CEO Anne Mahlum said she believes certain businesses are being treated differently by District leaders than others.
“You’re allowing bars and restaurants to stay open when you cannot have a mask on while you’re eating and drinking," Mahlum said. "But you’re closing establishments that operate with masks during the entire duration of your stay within those four walls? It just doesn’t make sense.”
At a press conference Monday, LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, said her department considered a couple of factors when it made the decision to suspend indoor group exercise classes.
She said her department relied on information gathered from case investigations as well as public health literature that provided case studies, morbidity rates, and mortality weekly report data.
“We look at data that we have, our epidemiological data, that tells us about trends that we're seeing in our cases,” she said. “So, who is now being diagnosed, what age groups, what demographics are mostly impacted, in terms of their risk of transmitting.”
The D.C. Department of Health did not respond to WUSA9’s request Tuesday as to why cluster data has not been released in the District.
It also remains unclear as to how the District will enforce Bowser's order. A request to her office seeking specificity on the issue and whether the District would punish gyms that do not follow its rules has not been answered.
“We're telling our residents that they should limit their activities and we're telling businesses to limit opportunities for residents in some activities,” Bowser said in response to a question regarding enforcement Monday.
The District’s new coronavirus regulations have also spurred uncertainty over the future of outdoor dining tents.
Recently, D.C. restaurants have been setting up heated tents outside their establishments for customers to dine in. Many of these tents have more than two walls.
A spokesperson for Bowser confirmed Monday that outdoor dining tents that have more than two walls and a roof will be considered “indoor dining” areas. However, the exact regulations those tents will be subject to is unclear.
"If a gathering is conducted in a structure with more than two walls, and is not subject to other more specific rules, such as for restaurants and houses of worship, it is an indoor gathering and cannot exceed ten persons," the mayor's order says.
The order also reads that indoor occupancy of restaurants will be reduced from 50% to 25%. The order does not specifically state which part of the mayor’s order outdoor dining tents will be governed by in the future.
The D.C. Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment on the matter Tuesday.
John Falccichio, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, did say the Office of Nightlife and Culture will soon announce webinars with sister agencies to discuss updated guidance and answer questions from the industry.