From Jan. 18-Feb. 14, more than 5,000 DC residents were hospitalized with covid.
-4,970 were unvaccinated or had one shot of an mRNA vaccine
-126 had one shot of J&J or 2 shots of Moderna/Pfizer
-7 were boosted In that same time, 357 DC residents died.
-317 were unvaccinated or hadn't completed initial doses
-39 had 1 J&J or 2 mRNA shots
-1 had a booster

Since I published my database of slaveholders in Congress, readers have sent me chilling documents: Birth certificates of babies born in slavery. Newspaper ads placed by congressmen looking for people who fled their plantations. A letter a reader’s ancestor sent home from battle. Today, we’re updating our database with 30 changes. More are coming. All thanks to the work of historians amateur and professional around the world. I got submissions from as far as France and China.

Today I’m proud to publish a Washington Post project that I’ve worked on for a year: The first list of every historical slaveowner in the U.S. Congress.

More than 1,700 slaveholders were elected to Congress, over a period of well over a century.
washingtonpost.com/history/intera… From the start of American democracy all the way into the 1920s, people who wrote our nation’s laws had a history as slaveholders. Slaveowners commonly represented northern states as well as southern ones.

New: DC will have a vaccine mandate for restaurants, gyms, and many other businesses starting January 15. Bowser plans to require at least one dose for anyone 12 and older to enter a bar, museum, theater or other covered business starting Jan. 15, then at least 2 doses of mRNA or 1 of J&J starting Feb. 15.

The indoor mask mandate is back in DC, starting tomorrow & continuing through the end of January. Masks will again be legally required in indoor public spaces such as gyms, churches, supermarkets.

It's one of many responses that Bowser announced today to the huge surge in cases. Up until now, DC government employees were required to be vaccinated or test weekly. Bowser will soon end the test option, and every DC employee will have to get vaccinated and boosted or face discipline.

Along with a huge team of @postlocal reporters, I spent the day at the polls in Virginia.

I was in western Prince William. Most people I met voted for Youngkin.

I just got home & I'm going through my notebook, so here's a thread of voters' quotes about why they picked Youngkin. As you probably know by now, Youngkin's message that "parents should have a say" in schools resonated with a ton of voters.

“I kind of like the old style of school,” one stepdad of school students said. “I still believe in the American flag, the Pledge of Allegiance & God.”

News: DC will again require masks in all indoor settings, starting Saturday. Mayor Bowser’s order will apply to everyone over age 2, vaccinated or unvaccinated. DC also announces new plans to get teens vaccinated before school starts. The first 400 teens at certain clinics can choose $51 gift card or free AirPods. Kids can also enter to win $25k college scholarships and can win prizes from their schools. Follow @PerryStein for more.

DC is also lifting a number of pandemic restrictions starting today. A thread:

Outdoor gatherings can now include 50 people. Indoor events are still capped at 10.

Some high school sports resume today. Indoor fitness classes can resume, called at 10 people. Pro sports can resume with a waiver, and can apply to host fans after 3/22.

Bars can serve alcohol until midnight now.

Movie theaters can reopen, capped at 25 people or 25% (whichever is lower).

Some live entertainment waivers will be granted in March.

News: In keeping with Biden’s call, DC will make all adults eligible for vaccine appointments starting on May 1. Essential workers who are not yet eligible will become eligible in three groups. One opens today, one on 3/29, and one on 4/12.

Bowser announces how DC will distribute vaccines under new registration system.

40% for seniors 65+ (half reserved for certain zip codes)

40% for 18-64 with health problems (half for certain zips)

20% for essential workers (half for certain zips, half for rest of DC + suburbs) Bowser says that the city will start by randomly selecting among registrants. Registering earlier won't help you. That might change as time goes on.

There are lots of changes coming this week and next to how DC distributes vaccines. A thread!

First: This week will be the last time that DC residents need to scramble for a vaccine appointment on a Thursday or Friday morning. Starting next week, DC gets entirely different system based on pre-registration. Residents will sign up by providing age, health conditions, work role & zip code. The health dept will send each person an email or text or call them when it is their turn to sign up for appointment.

I learned so much, reporting on how DC decided to vaccinate so many people based on medical history, about the choices across the country about who gets vaccine. Not all made it into the article. So, a thread! 1/ Basically, the CDC made two lists: conditions that definitely make coronavirus worse, and those that might but there's no proof. Only a few states -- including DC, New Mexico, Delaware -- have any plan to vaccinate anyone on the second list, which includes BMI 25-29, asthma, CF.

I wrote two days ago about Dr. Nesbitt's insistence that DC shouldn't reserve vaccines for residents of certain wards.

Today, the city announced they'll do that. Appointments open tomorrow just for residents of Wards 1, 4, 5, 7, 8.
washingtonpost.com/local/coronavi… Ward 3 residents booked by far the most appointments in the first round open to seniors.