A savvy DC attorney persuaded a local entertainment district to remove a ‘no masks’ notice meant to curb Halloween crime on the grounds that it could lead to an outbreak of COVID.
The National Health Law Program’s Madeline Morcelle tweeted her displeasure at a sign stating that masks are not permitted anywhere on District Wharf property “to help make the waterfront safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
Morcelle tweeted on Wednesday, “I am outraged.” This sign from @TheWharfDC prohibits the wearing of masks on Wharf property, an essential and lifesaving public health initiative. We are still witnessing a pandemic of the airborne COVID-19 virus.”
The attorney claimed to believe that the notice referred to COVID masks and criticized the waterfront district for banning the face coverings during the epidemic, despite the fact that the number of cases continued to decline.
Two days following Morcelle’s tweet, the district removed the sign and replaced it with a new one stating that ‘Halloween costume face coverings’ are prohibited on The Wharf.
The attorney complained that the sign would cause individuals to abandon their COVID masks, which are no longer necessary but are recommended in densely populated places, which she said would negatively impact disabled city residents.
‘It’s also true that none on the Wharf DC team thought to analyze the obvious meaning of the “no masks” phrase two and a half years into a pandemic, amid escalating eugenicist and ableist discourse and anti-masking attitude and legislation,’ she tweeted.
It is still difficult for me to comprehend how this was possible. It was, at best, an irresponsible and very infuriating omission that jeopardized public health and disability rights.’
The city and district officials did not immediately react to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
The southwest waterfront entertainment zone is home to numerous hotels, shops, restaurants, and a 6,000-seat music venue.
The district’s website states that it honors black lives, women, immigrants, persons with disabilities, the LGBT community, people of all faiths, youth, and elderly.
Morcelle further asserted that the United States was on the verge of another COVID epidemic, akin to last year’s holiday epidemic.
After reaching a peak in late 2021 and early 2022 due to the Omicron variety, however, the number of cases has been decreasing.
The CDC notes that monthly instances have decreased from September to October, with 265,893 cases and approximately 2,649 new deaths reported this week.