An election was rescheduled, businesses and schools were closed, and many people who usually commute to the office worked from home.
Coronavirus prevention efforts upended the daily routines of many people in the Washington, D.C., area on Tuesday, which was expected to be a quiet St. Patrick’s Day.
“Stay safe and see you soon,” the sign outside the Avalon Theatre in Northwest D.C. read. The nonprofit film center closed Friday, in compliance with orders from the health department.
On Tuesday, D.C. began the first full day without dine-in service at restaurants and bars. Maryland postponed its April 28 primary to June 2. And Virginia’s governor advised residents to avoid groups of 10 or more people but opted against ordering mandatory closures.
As governments grappled with how to slow the spread of COVID-19, individuals and businesses helped people in need.
The Georgia Avenue NW bar Hook Hall was transformed into a temporary relief station for service industry workers. Members of the public and the bar’s distributors donated items for care packages full of food and personal items.
“We are an industry built of folks who love to serve, and now our own need that help,” owner Anna Valero told News4.
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Chef José Andrés closed his restaurants and reopened them as community kitchens where visitors can get an an affordable, or even free, meal.
In one of the biggest headlines nationally, President Trump said Tuesday that he was considering having the government send a check to every American in an effort to curb the economic cost of the pandemic. The proposal would require approval from Congress.
