The COVID-19 public emergency in Washington, D.C., will continue into 2022.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed an extension of the state of emergency on Thursday, the day it was set to expire.
It will now stay in effect through Jan. 7, 2022. Read the order here.
A public emergency and public health emergency were put in effect since March 11, 2020, the day the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. The public health emergency ended in July.
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The new order allows D.C. to get federal funds and grants relating to COVID-19 as well as participate in programs that will help the city respond to the virus.
It also allows the District to maintain isolation and quarantine sites as needed, plus tell businesses and organizations to help carry out health guidance.
D.C. says its public health efforts and vaccination campaign have been successful, but the emergency is still necessary “to respond expeditiously and safely to COVID-19 and its ongoing impacts.”
