Current COVID-19 State of Affairs in DC for Travel? (hotel, home)

[canudigit]

Just curious, I googled this first but all I could find was a mayor's order from March 16 with the restrictions but no end date, unless she hasn't set an end date yet.

I ask because we had a trip to DC planned during the second week of May. We pre-paid our hotel charge by using Hotwire and it was supposed to be non-refundable. I have used Hotwire's online form to request a refund and have not heard anything back yet, the bill was over $700 so I'm getting a bit concerned.

We live in SE Michigan. We do not want to make this trip under the current circumstances, and I'm sure those of you who live there don't want us to either. We don't have COVID-19 that we know of, and have been following the government guidelines to at T, especially considering that we are part-time hands on caregivers for my elderly father-in-law. We want to stay home!!

So I guess my basic question is, do you think your Mayor will extend social distancing/shutdown restrictions into May at this point? We are hoping and praying that she does so that there is no way we can be held to this charge. Hotwire is refunding people for non-refundable trips under the current circumstances so it's not like we're being unreasonable in requesting one, and they have already approved the refund of a non-refundable hotel charge that we had for Cape May, NJ for a few days following our time in DC but it seems odd that the DC refund is still pending.

[Charlotte485]

I’d be very surprised if the shutdown is ended before your trip.

In the last week or 2, there have been more restrictions put in place since the original order. There’s been no mentioning ive heard of easing social distancing.

I’ve also read articles that DC (among a few other key areas) will be the next hotspots.

I’d also look at what Maryland is doing. MD has really been a step ahead of DC and VA it seems. Maybe they could sort of be a crystal ball on DC’s next move.

[canudigit]

Thanks for your reply! Someone on the DC Tripadvisor forum told me that the mayor has since extended the stay home shut down through May 15th, so I don't see how there is any way that Hotwire can hold us to this reservation and not refund us since we are not even allowed to travel there during that time. Plus, even though we are doing fine and don't personally know anyone who is sick with COVID-19, we do live in southeast Michigan which is still a hotspot for the virus.

The last time I checked, our refund is under review so hopefully they will let us know shortly that we get a full refund. I know they are swamped with requests right now.

Thanks again!