The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- District of Columbia
- Level
- State
- Authority
- D.C. Home Rule Act sec. 422; COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, D.C. Act 23-247; D.C. Official Code 7-2304, 7-2304.01, 7-131 et seq.
- Issued
- 2020-03-24 Mar. 24, 2020
- Effective
- 2020-03-24 (immediately); non-essential businesses to cease operations by 10:00 p.m. on 2020-03-25 (read as 2020-03-24)
- End
- 2020-04-24 by its terms; extended through May 15 (MO 2020-063) and June 8, 2020 (MO 2020-066); lifted in part May 29, 2020 (MO 2020-067, Phase One) and June 22, 2020 (MO 2020-075, Phase Two); the ten-person gathering rule repealed June 22, 2020 (read as 2020-04-24)
- In force
- Mar. 24, 2020 to Apr. 24, 2020
- Quarters
- 2020 Q2
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Business closureTelework mandateGathering capSchools and child careEvents and venuesWorkplace rules
- Addressees
- all businesses with a facility in Washington, DC
- Essential Businesses
- the public
- schools
- child care facilities
- hotels
- Functions reached
- SF sales floors closed
- OF offices closed except Minimum Basic Operations and telework
- SL salons, spas, tattoo closed
- FC gyms closed
- PE theatres closed
- DR dining rooms (delivery, carry out, grab and go only)
- MC hotel conference facilities and ballrooms non-essential
- GATH ten or more
- SCH schools limited to distance learning
- EC child care prioritized to essential employees
- CB the entire customer base confined by the closure of non-essential in-person services
- Collection
- District of Columbia DC
Operative words
All businesses with a facility in Washington, DC, except Essential Business as defined in section IV.1 of this Order, shall cease all activities at those facilities, except Minimum Basic Operations, as defined in section IV.4 of this Order.... Businesses, including non-Essential Businesses, may continue telework operations consisting of employees or contractors performing work at their own residences... Large gatherings of ten (10) or more persons... are hereby prohibited in the District of Columbia.... Essential and non-Essential businesses shall take all reasonable steps necessary for employees to work remotely from their residences and to deliver services to the businesses and their customers by telephone, video, internet, or other remote means.
Enforcement
Any individual or entity that knowingly violates this Order shall be subject to all civil, criminal, and administrative penalties authorized by law, including sanctions or penalties for violating D.C. Official Code 7-2307, including civil fines, summary suspension or revocation of licensure (sec. VI); DCRA penalties of up to $1,000 per day per site and $5,000 per day for operation after an order to close (MO 2020-054 sec. III.4)
Notes
Names as non-essential: tour guides and touring services; gyms, health clubs, spas, massage establishments; theaters, auditoriums; nightclubs; hair, nail and tanning salons and barbershops; tattoo parlors; sales not involved in essential services; retail clothing stores; professional services not devoted to assisting essential business operations. Essential Business list built on CISA's March 19, 2020 memorandum: health care (construed broadly, including dentists), infrastructure, food and household products (restaurants for delivery and carry-out only), social services, communications and IT, energy and automotive (gas stations, auto repair, auto supply), financial services, educational institutions solely for distance learning, transportation and logistics, construction and building trades, housing and hotels (except conference, ballroom and dine-in facilities), professional services 'only when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities, Essential Businesses or Essential Governmental Functions', child care. Federal-property gatherings excepted (sec. IV.3.b.iv).
Retrieval noteScanned PDF (9 pp.); read by OCR. Supersedes Mayor's Order 2020-051 to the extent of inconsistency (sec. V).