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Atlantan among politicos going handshake-free in DC

Coronavirus concerns mean an annual meeting of leaders in the nation's capitol are not getting as "hands-on" as in years past.

Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore is attending the 55th annual National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in Washington, DC. Elected officials from America's cities, towns, and villages gather to share ideas, and advocate for public policy important to their communities with congressional leaders.

Moore says this year, people are greeting each other differently.

"We have a handshake-free meeting," she says. "So, no one is shaking hands. There's sanitation, there are wipes, there's antibacterial lotion and everything around, and we're really encouraging everyone to use that and people have."

Moore posted a photo of the big no-handshake strikethrough illustration greeting delegates.

While some events around the country are being postponed or canceled because of Covid-19 precautions, Moore notes that the NLC is still extremely well-attended as the focus is the 2020 Cities Agenda in this election year. Key agenda issues include infrastructure, creating a skilled workforce, ending housing instability and homelessness, and reducing gun violence.

"There's over 2,000 participants, and maybe only 40 people canceled," says Moore. "Local elected officials are braving our fears. We've come and we all are sharing information on how we're dealing with the contravirus because we're the closest thing to the people."

Moore says Covid-19 is, of course, a major topic this year as the outbreak continues.

"Even with the virus issue, we have to think about how do we serve our homeless population. They are amongst us and they do share public spaces with us," says Moore.

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