WASHINGTON — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) remains present around the country, as well as here in the DMV. Things like masks and social distancing are still important, but our counties and communities have begun to reopen.
This blog details the latest updates on our Road to Recovery in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Check-in each day for what’s new, where each part of the DMV is at in its phased reopening plan and what direction the coronavirus trend is headed.
Have a question? Text it to us at 202-895-5599.
Updates on coronavirus cases come from health departments between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. every day.
Reopening the DMV
.The latest in reopening news:
- Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said the jurisdiction will remain in Phase 2 of reopening. Here's the latest.
- Virginia has begun Phase 3 of reopening. More details about Phase III in Virginia here.
- A last-minute change prohibits bar seating in Phase 3 of Virginia's reopening. More details here.
- D.C. is now in Phase II of reopening. It means restaurants and non-essential retail can open indoors at 50% capacity and gyms and yoga studios can reopen with restrictions. Full details on what Phase II means in D.C. here.
- Metro has reopened some stops. Here's what you need to know.
- All of Maryland is now in Phase II, and the state's largest casino, MGM National Harbor, has reopened.
- Amusement parks have begun declaring opening dates. Click here for more on those.
Tracking the Coronavirus
- D.C.’s streak of days without new deaths from the coronavirus continued Tuesday into its fifth day.
- The Columbia Heights neighborhood in D.C. has now reported more than 700 cases of the coronavirus. The 16th Street Heights neighborhood has the second-highest count in the city with 635 cases. D.C. coronavirus live updates
- Maryland reported 733 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday – its highest single-day case count since June 5.
- Maryland has been on an upward trend in new cases for more than two weeks, although its percent positivity remains below 5%. Maryland coronavirus live updates
- Virginia has reportedly significantly below-average death numbers for the last four days.
- The commonwealth has been on an upward trend in new cases since June 21, and the percent positivity of coronavirus tests has been increasing as well, despite conducting the highest number of daily tests yet. As of Tuesday, Virginia’s percent positivity was at 6.9% -- up from its low of 5.9%. The commonwealth is now averaging more than 13,000 coronavirus tests a day. Virginia coronavirus live updates
Monday, July 13:
- D.C. has now reported 0 new deaths from the coronavirus for four consecutive days.
- The District has been on a moderate upward trend in new cases for a week.
- D.C. still has far and away the slowest doubling time in the DMV, but it has lost a lot of ground. On July 5 the city’s doubling time for coronavirus cases was more than 240 days. As of Monday, it’s now 141 days.
- Maryland has been on an upward trend in new daily cases for 11 days, but that trend has accelerated over the past 4-5 days.
- Despite a large one-day spike in cases last week, Maryland’s trend for daily deaths from the coronavirus continues on the same downward trajectory it’s been on since May 25.
- By mid-June Maryland’s coronavirus doubling time had slowed to nearly 140 days, however, it has been speeding back up recently, and is now at 94 days.
- Virginia’s daily case counts have gone up precipitously over the past week. Last Monday, the commonwealth was averaging 559 new cases a day. As of Monday, Virginia is now averaging 791 new cases a day – a 42% increase in just one week.
- Virginia’s Monday count of 972 cases is its highest in more than a month, and the second time in four days that the commonwealth has reported more than 900 cases in a single day.
- As WUSA9 reported on Friday, as new cases rise in Virginia, the percentage of those cases coming from Northern Virginia continues to fall. On Sunday, just 177 of the commonwealth’s 888 new cases, or 20%, came from Northern Virginia.
- Virginia’s coronavirus doubling time, which peaked at just above 80 days, has now sped back up to 56 days.
What precautions should you take?
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are unavailable.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Check the status of the virus in your state with your state health department's websites by tapping below: