DC’s surge prompts closures through mid-January

District’s fall outbreaks traced to eateries, bars

On Wednesday, the day Congress is set to convene to certify the Electoral College votes and solidify Presidentelect Joe Biden’s victory, protests in Washington, D.C., have been planned in support of President Donald Trump’s efforts to contest the election results.

A social media post claims D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser shut down indoor dining to prevent protesters from gathering.

“The Mayor of D.C. has shut down indoor dining to prevent Trump supporters from coming on January 6th to D.C. but that won’t stop us! People are organizing food trucks.” reads a tweet from Anna Khait, a former contestant on the reality TV show “Survivor” who has written for conservative site Epoch Times, posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

A similar version of the post claims Bowser ordered “all hotels restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores to close jan 4th, 5th and 6th to Discourage TRUMP supporters from gathering in D.C.” The post goes on to encourage protesters to bring “EXTRA food, water, blankets, supplies and have a plan where to sleep.”

USA TODAY reached out to the users and Khait for comment.

Order issued to mitigate spread

Bowser issued an executive order on Dec. 18, closing indoor dining, museums and libraries from Dec. 23 until Jan. 15 because of heightened COVID-19 concerns.

“District residents are strongly advised to limit their activities to essential activities and travel, including work, school, childcare, government services, medical needs, food, supplies, and exercise,” the order reads.

According to data from the D.C. Department of Health, 15 coronavirus outbreaks were traced back to restaurants and bars from Aug. 1 to Nov. 26, accounting for 13.8% of the total outbreaks that took place. That compares with the same number of outbreaks linked to child care, 19 at K-12 schools and 30 at colleges and universities.

The district has had more than 29,500 coronavirus cases and 792 deaths as of Friday, according to D.C.’s COVID-19 data.

There is no evidence the ban was issued to prevent Trump supporters from gathering. It is false to claim that the order is in place only from Monday to Thursday.

The order also does not call for hotels to close. The Hotel Harrington, however, near the White House did announce it will close during the pro-Trump protests from Monday to Wednesday out of health and safety concerns, USA TODAY reported. Many restaurants and office buildings in downtown Washington are already boarded up ahead of the demonstrations.

Further, no gas stations, grocery stores or convenience stores have been ordered to close under the executive order, as claimed in the social media post. Grocery stores and convenience stores have remained open as essential businesses throughout the pandemic but are required to enforce social distancing guidelines, according to NBC Washington.

USA TODAY has reached out to Bowser’s office for comment.

Our rating: False

The claim that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered all hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores to close to prevent pro-Trump protests is FALSE, based on our research. A recent executive order closes indoor dining, libraries and museums, while hotels, convenience stores and grocery stores are still open. The order was issued because COVID-19 cases were rising. The restrictions took effect in December and last through mid-January, not just on the days of the demonstrations.