DC TO REIMPOSE INDOOR MASK MANDATE

Washington, D.C., will reimpose an indoor mask mandate and expand a vaccine mandate for city employees, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced Monday.

The mask requirement for indoor public spaces will take effect on Tuesday and remain in place through January 31 as a way to try to blunt a feared surge on COVID-19 infections that could overwhelm the city’s health systems.

It comes a little over a month after Bowser lifted the city’s mask requirement, citing increasing vaccination rates, relatively low hospitalizations and a desire to move toward individual risk management.

But then the omicron variant began spreading rapidly across the country, and about two weeks later Bowser issued a mask “advisory” for indoor spaces. The advisory was not legally binding, but was meant to reflect the growing unease about the virus.

Coronavirus cases have been surging to record highs in recent days, and Bowser last week said reimposing the mandate was being considered. When asked on Monday, Bowser did not point to any specific metrics that would result in the mandate being extended past Jan. 31, or what would cause it to be reimposed after it gets lifted again.

Also: All D.C. government employees and contractors will now be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with a booster shot, and will no longer have the option to test out of the mandate.