Breakfast links: What you can still do outdoors in the region during the coronavirus pandemic
Due to the seriousness of the current public health crisis GGWash will be skipping our traditional practice of running satirical articles on April 1. We hope all of you are staying safe and healthy and thank you for reading!
What are the best outside activities under “stay home” rules?
New ordinances in DC, Maryland and Virginia ask all residents to stay home, but walking, running, cycling, scooting and skateboarding are all still permissible - as long as you stay six feet apart from anyone outside your household while outside. (Mikaela Lefrak / WAMU)
Metro’s budget could have more buses, higher fares
The Metro board will vote Thursday on a new budget that will likely raise fares by 10 cents, extend service hours at night, and have many fewer cuts to bus routes after rider pushback. Only eight of the 50 routes once on the chopping block are likely to go. (Justin George / Post)
Maryland may postpone many municipal elections
One of the emergency measures Governor Lawrence Hogan enacted on Monday would allow municipalities to postpone local elections or get rid of in-person voting in order to avoid dangerous crowding. Over 50 municipalities were scheduled to hold elections of some kind through June. (Danielle Gaines / Maryland Matters)
DC Jail isn’t sanitary, a lawsuit alleges
A lawsuit against DC’s Department of Corrections on behalf of four inmates in the DC Jail says that there are inadequate cleaning products and medical care provided to stop the spread of coronavirus in the facility. Already six inmates have tested positive for the virus and more than 80 are quarantined. (Mitch Ryals / City Paper)
The Silver Line extension could open in a year
Metro projected that Phase 2 of the Silver Line will be operational by April 2021. After some construction delays the opening date had been set to summer 2021, but Metro is moving that date up. (Fatimah Waseem / Reston Now)
Rumored rent strikes could cause challenges for tenants
Rent is due in the middle of a massive unemployment crisis, and there are online discussions about pandemic rent strikes. However, local tenant organizers warn that just because DC has an eviction moratorium in place right now, not paying rent can have long-lasting legal repercussions, if not done as part of an organized group. (Nathan Diller / DCist)
Some Whole Foods workers strike
Some of the grocery store’s workers called out sick as part of a work stoppage to demand that Whole Foods offer higher hazard pay, health coverage for part time workers, sick leave for self-quarantining, and that the company close stores after workers contract COVID-19. (Melissa Howell / WTOP)
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