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 the most important to help combat the spread of the virus.
This blog details the latest updates on the coronavirus 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.
Tracking the Coronavirus
- Gov. Larry Hogan said Maryland will enter the third and final stage of its reopening plan on Friday, September at 5 p.m., with all businesses able to reopen. Movie theaters and live performance venues can open at 50% capacity (up to 100 people indoors and 250 outdoors), while retail stores and houses of worship can increase capacity from 50% to 75%. By law, individual counties can make decisions that are more restrictive regarding the timing of stage 3 reopenings in their own jurisdictions.
- D.C. has continued to see declining numbers of COVID-19 patients in its hospitals. As of Tuesday, DC Health reports only 71 hospital beds in the District are now being used by coronavirus patients. The District began August with 102 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
- In Maryland’s D.C. metro counties, Prince George’s County continues to see its coronavirus trend decline, while Montgomery County has plateaued recently. As of Tuesday, Prince George’s County was averaging 97 new cases of the virus a day – down 17% from the week prior. Meanwhile, Montgomery County was averaging 67 new cases a day – the same number as a week earlier.
- Virginia’s coronavirus trend is moving upward again, and the commonwealth is averaging just under 1,000 cases a day once more. The last time Virginia’s seven-day average was above 1,000 was August 13. Since then, the average had declined to as low as 860 new cases a day, but has been rising again since August 21. As of Tuesday, Virginia is averaging 997 new cases a day.
- Deaths from the coronavirus also continue to rise again in Virginia. As of Tuesday, Virginia is averaging 17 new deaths a day from the virus. That’s more than twice what the commonwealth was seeing two weeks ago.
Reopening the DMV
The latest in reopening news:
- D.C. released its latest quarantine list. Find it here.
- 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.
- Gov. Ralph Northam has promised stricter enforcement of mask and social distancing rules.
- Gov. Northam has tightened some coronavirus restrictions in the Hampton Roads area.
- 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 returns to normal schedule with masks and social distancing still required. Here's the latest.
- All of Maryland is now in Phase II.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has expanded the masks requirements in the state, and issued a travel advisory.
Previous Updates
August 31:
- As of Monday, is averaging just 50 new cases of the coronavirus a day. That’s the city’s lowest average since July 10. However, D.C. has not been able to maintain the sustained downward trend it needs to move to Phase 3.
- As of Monday, Montgomery County has now reported more than 20,000 cases of the coronavirus. It joins Prince George’s County as one of only two Maryland counties to break that number.
- As of Sunday, the Maryland Department of Health reported there were only 358 hospital beds in use in the state for COVID-19 patients. That’s the lowest number since March.
- As of Monday, Virginia has reported more than 120,000 cases of the coronavirus.
- Virginia will end August having reported more than 30,000 new cases of the coronavirus during the month – the worst month yet for the commonwealth. Virginia reported 27,000 new cases in July, and just under 29,000 in May.
August 29:
- D.C. had appeared to be making progress on one of its Phase 3 metrics – the percent of new cases that come from quarantined contacts – but that number has backslid recently. Since reaching a high of 9% on August 18 it has fallen back down to 5.5% as of August 24, the most recent date available. The goal for that metric is 60%.
- Maryland reported 13 new deaths from the coronavirus on Friday. That’s the state’s highest single-day count in more than two weeks.
- In Maryland’s D.C. metro counties, both Montgomery and Prince George’s say they have now tested more than 20% of their populations for the coronavirus.
- Virginia’s average daily deaths from the coronavirus have doubled over the past two weeks – rising from an average of eight a day to 16 a day. The commonwealth has reported more than 20 deaths a day for four of the past seven 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: