D.C. health official says indoor mask mandate will likely be in effect until at least Thanksgiving

"We're hopeful that by Thanksgiving we'll be in a different spot," said Patrick Ashley, a senior deputy director of the D.C. health department
D.C. skyline
By Sophie Mann

Health officials in the nation's capital say that the recently reintroduced indoor mask mandate, which applies to everyone regardless of vaccination status, may remain in place until Thanksgiving.

"We're very hopeful that we'll get back to normal around the holidays," said Patrick Ashley, a senior deputy director of the D.C. Department of Health. "We're hopeful that by Thanksgiving we'll be in a different spot, but that relies on people getting vaccinated." 

On Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has been caught sans mask several times since reestablishing the mandate, announced that all city employees and contractors must be vaccinated by Sept. 19th, or submit to a weekly COVID-19 test.

Despite experiencing a steady climb in coronavirus cases, similar to most other major cities, D.C. is reporting just 125 new COVID-19 cases per day.