Lawmakers called on the White House to take action in the wake of its coronavirus outbreak.

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Health officials from nine jurisdictions around the region are calling for individuals connected to recent events at the White House to self-identify and get tested following their possible exposure to the coronavirus.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted a letter on Thursday morning urging anyone who has worked at the White House in the last two weeks to contact their local health department, citing the Trump administration’s reluctance to conduct robust contact tracing after a series of events left over a dozen people in Trump’s orbit positive for COVID-19.

Though much emphasis was placed initially on senior White House officials and their exposure, health officials in the region are concerned about the “scope of individuals who may have been exposed,” according to the letter, which could include permanent White House staff.

DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, has asked individuals with proximity to the White House to contact their local health departments for further guidance regarding their potential need to quarantine. Other health departments joining the District’s request include those in Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Charles counties in Maryland, as well as the city of Alexandria, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia.

This coordination by local jurisdictions highlights the need for unity, as the District, Maryland and Virginia are intricately connected.

But the New York Times reported that some White House officials have opted not to use D.C. ‘s testing facilities, which are free and open to everyone. Instead, some have reached out directly to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan for assistance, highlighting the administration’s disconnect to the federal city.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Thursday morning that the second presidential debate will be virtual, saying the candidates “would participate from separate remote locations” in an effort to “protect the health and safety of all involved.”

But the President says he will refuse that change.

“I’m not gonna do a virtual debate,” Trump said during a television interview. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for COVID-19 last week.

And all this comes just a day after Bowser extended the District’s state of emergency due to the coronavirus until Dec. 31. It was set to end on Oct. 9.

“Without continued extraordinary measures authorized under a state of emergency, as well as community compliance with preventative measures, the progress the District has made in protecting the health, safety and welfare would be threatened and likely reversed,” the order reads.

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