WASHINGTON — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading across the DMV, leading to unprecedented changes to our everyday life to reduce the disease.
This blog details the latest updates from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Have a question? Text it to us at 202-895-5599.
Sunday, May 24:
- DC's Department of Health releases the latest coronavirus numbers for the District on what should be day 14 of a 14 day decline. Instead, a new peak was detected with 132 cases, pushing the trend back to 11 days of decline. Five additional people have lost their life to the virus in D.C.
- Gov. Ralph Northam hints to Virginians that face coverings could be a mandatory requirement if going inside businesses within the commonwealth.
- Virginia health officials report 495 additional cases of coronavirus and 12 additional deaths in the state.
- Maryland health officials report 818 new cases of coronavirus and 38 new deaths in the state.
Saturday, May 23:
- Maryland health officials report 1,071 additional cases of coronavirus and 38 additional deaths in the state.
- The Washington Nationals virtual ring ceremony is no more, after the club released in a statement that it will cancel its planned event with its players.
According to the statement, Nationals players collectively, "decided they would prefer to receive their rings when the team could be physically reunited."
- D.C. health officials say there are 73 additional cases of coronavirus in the District and 9 additional lives have been lost.
- Virginia reports an additional 799 positive cases of coronavirus. Health officials say 23 more people have died as a result of the virus, and 36 more people have been hospitalized. Among these new cases and deaths includes 46 new cases in Alexandria, and one death has been added to the city's death toll from the virus.
- A D.C. Circulator spokesperson confirmed a driver has died from coronavirus complications.
RELATED: DC Circulator driver dies from coronavirus complications after concerns raised by coworkers
Friday, May 22:
- By at least one metric, the D.C. metro area remains the nation’s most concerning coronavirus hot spot, according to Dr. Deborah Birx.
- Georgetown basketball coach Patrick Ewing has coronavirus
- Virginia Governor Ralph Northam emphasized that Virginia churches should follow state guidelines on reopening with 50% capacity after President Trump held a press conference declaring places of worship as essential.
- Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Friday that D.C. Public Schools will return on August 31, whether in person or through virtual learning.
- The mayor also released new details about how the District could begin a phased reopening as early as May 29.
- As of Friday, DC Health says the District has been on a downward trend for new coronavirus cases for 11 days.
- In Virginia, the trend for new cases reported daily has been flat for more than a week, and the trend for deaths reported daily has been heading downward since May 8.
- In Maryland, the 7-day average for new deaths reported daily peaked on April 30, and has been on a downward trend ever since. As of Friday, the trend had reached its lowest point since mid-April.
- On Friday, DC Health reported 105 new cases of the coronavirus and 6 new deaths, bringing the total for each to 7,893 and 418, respectively.
- In Maryland, 893 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 44,424. 2,092 people have died in the state from COVID-19.
- In Virginia, 813 new cases were reported on Friday, along with 37 new deaths. 34,950 people have now been infected with the novel coronavirus in Virginia, and 1,136 have died from it.
Thursday, May 21:
- Self-swab coronavirus testing will be available at 17 CVS pharmacies in Maryland starting Friday
- County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said Prince George's County will reopen with Phase 1 by June 1 if the trend in downward cases continues. Data of tests collected last week have a 28% positivity rate in the county she said, which is a decrease from a high of 41% the week of April 19.
- DC could begin the first phase of reopening by next week on May 29, Mayor Bowser and ReOpen DC Advisory Group announced. The first stage of reopening would allow restaurants to open for patio seating only and curbside retail for non-essential businesses. A final decision is expected on Tuesday.
- Maryland reports 1,208 new cases of coronavirus in the state. Health officials also report 41 additional deaths.
- D.C. announced 354 new cases of coronavirus and 5 additional deaths. It's a single-day case count high for the District.
- Virginia reports 1,229 additional cases of coronavirus in the commonwealth and 25 additional deaths.
- Gov. Hogan announces new steps to increase Maryland's COVID-19 testing capacity.
- While the pace of layoffs has declined for six straight weeks, the number of weekly unemployment applications remains immense by historical standards
Wednesday, May 20:
- Loudoun County and DC Public Schools discuss plans for sending students back to school as early as August
RELATED: 'We will be ready' | Loudoun County has a plan for next school year, scheduled to start Aug. 27
- Fairfax County cancels summer camps
- Business owners in Charles County protest delayed reopening
- Maryland State Department of Education developed plan to continue and expand child care during COVID-19 pandemic
- 23 pediatric cases of a rare but potentially deadly inflammatory disease recently linked to coronavirus reported at DC hospital
- Maryland reports an additional 777 positive cases of coronavirus and 41 additional deaths. Maryland now reports more than 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the state.
- Montgomery County officials say they are still not ready to reopen the county just yet, citing a need for a continued downward trend in hospitalizations and increased ICU capacity before finalizing opening plans.
- D.C. health officials report an additional 117 new cases of coronavirus in the District. An additional 7 people have died as a result of the virus.
- Virginia health officials report 763 new coronavirus cases and 33 additional deaths due to coronavirus in the commonwealth.
Tuesday, May 19:
- Fairfax County parks will reopen for limited use in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines for Memorial Day weekend. Playgrounds, restrooms, dog parks, volleyball/basketball courts and athletic fields will remain closed and water fountains will be turned off.
- Arlington County Board accepted and appropriated a $20.66 million federal grant to support programs and services affected by the pandemic.
- DC allows certain non-essential businesses to reopen for curbside pickup wth a waiver
- The 95th annual Chincoteague Pony Swim has been canceled due to coronavirus.
- Maryland health officials report 1,784 new cases of coronavirus in the state and 60 additional deaths.
- 400 people have died from the coronavirus in D.C. Health officials report 8 new deaths as a result of the virus, and 164 new cases.
- Virginia reports 1,005 new coronavirus cases in the commonwealth, and 27 additional deaths as a result of the virus.
Monday, May 18:
- More than 1,000 people received free coronavirus tests at Prince William County's testing site.
- Fairfax County releases first draft of plan to bring students back to classrooms
RELATED: Fairfax County Public Schools lays out plan for transitioning students back to in-person learning
- Gov. Ralph Northam announced he would reopen public beaches in Virginia Beach during his Monday press briefing.
- DC had its first slight uptick in its 7-day average after 8 consecutive days of decline. The District is still on a downward trend overall.
- Also in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal to the city council on Monday.
- Virginia shows signs of "bending" the curve. Prior to May 4, the commonwealth had seen a more or less uninterrupted period of growth in cases reported each day. Since then, while daily cases are up overall, that growth has noticeably flattened out.
- That being said, Virginia still isn't anywhere near its goal of 10,000 COVID-19 tests per day, and the number of tests being reported has declined for three days straight.
- Maryland reports a single-day increase of 958 new coronavirus cases in the state. Health officials report 27 additional deaths as a result of the virus. 1,903 people have died in Maryland due to coronavirus. There are now 39,762 cases in the state.
- D.C. health officials report 147 new positive cases of coronavirus and 9 additional deaths as a result of the virus.
- Virginia health officials report 752 new cases of coronavirus in the commonwealth, and 5 additional deaths.
Sunday, May 17:
- Prince William County announces free testing sites.
- American Vets (AMVETS) announces their 'Rolling to Remember' rally for Memorial Day is now going to be virtual.
- The District reports 81 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 7,123 cases. Eight DC residents have died since the weekend began.
- Maryland sees the lowest hospitalization numbers in the state for the last three weeks for a total of 1,463.
- In Virginia, fewer than 10 deaths were reported in the commonwealth in the last day, bringing the total 1,009.
Saturday, May 16:
- The Preakness Stakes has a new date this year: October 3. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the delayed date for the Baltimore horse race on Saturday.
- Maryland reports 982 new cases of the virus, with Virginia reporting 1,011. Combined for the two states, 75 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.
- Crowds continue to walk along the Ocean City boardwalk as condos and hotels allow reopening.
Friday, May 15:
- Here's a look at who reopened Friday, and who is still restricted:
- Richmond and Accomack County will delay reopening with the rest of the state, waiting to see a continued downward trend of coronavirus cases.
- D.C. is now on Day 6 of a sustained downward trend in new cases, and Maryland is on its 5th day of a slight downward trend. Virginia has been heading upward for four days.
- As of Friday, Northern Virginia now makes up an average of 70% of new COVID-19 deaths and more than 60% of new cases of the virus reported in Virginia.
- Virginia's 7-day average of new cases broke 900 on Friday – the highest point since the pandemic began.
Thursday, May 14:
- Ocean City lifted lodging restrictions on short-term rentals effective May 14 at 5 p.m
- Face masks will be required on Metro beginning May 18
- Passengers on Fairfax Connector buses will be required to wear face coverings starting May 18
- Charles County will wait until May 29 to institute phase one of Governor Hogan’s order, with stay-at-home orders remaining in effect until that date.
- Frederick County will phase in its approach to reopening with just a few changes Friday, with a projected goal to get into a full Stage 1 on May 29.
- Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has extended the county's stay-at-home order until at least June 1.
- Montgomery County confirmed it will remain under the same stay-at-home order despite Governor Hogan calling for the rest of Maryland to begin Stage 1 of reopening.
- The DMV hit a number of milestones on Thursday: 70,000 people in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia have now been infected with the virus. More than 10,000 of those have had to be hospitalized, and more than 3,000 have now died.
- In D.C., the District has been on a downward trend in new cases for 5 days.
- Virginia, which begins reopening on Friday, reported a new record single-day high of 1,067 cases and an additional 18 deaths.
- Roughly 36 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the two months since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Wednesday, May 13:
- Maryland lifts its stay-at-home order on May 15 at 5 p.m. Montgomery and Prince George's counties have made it clear they're not ready to move into Stage 1 of recovery when the rest of the state does.
- D.C. health officials have extended stay-at-home orders in the District until June 8.
- The District's doubling time -- the time it takes for total cases to double -- has slowed to more than a month for the first time since the pandemic began.
- Also in D.C., the seven-day average for daily new cases has been on a downward trend for four days.
- In Maryland, new case numbers have been below the weekly average for the past three days.
- Meanwhile in Virginia, which begins partial reopening on Friday, new cases have been trending upward for three days. Northern Virginia won't begin reopening on May 15.
- On Wednesday, the DMV reported the following new case counts:
- DC: 99 new cases, bringing the total to 6,584 -- 350 people have now died of COVID-19 in the District.
- Maryland: 751 new cases, bringing the total to 34,812 -- 1,643 people have now died in Maryland from COVID-19.
- Virginia: 946 new cases, bringing the total to 26,746 -- 937 people have now died of COVID-19 in the commonwealth.
Tuesday, May 12:
- Northern Virginia can delay reopening until May 29, according to a new executive order signed by Gov. Ralph Northam.
- The seven-day average for D.C.'s daily cases continues on a downward trend, with the District now reporting 6,584 confirmed cases of COVID-19. A total of 250 people have died.
- Metro announces a requirement to wear face masks when using bus or rail.
- The DMV as a whole reported its lowest number of daily new cases since April 29.
- Also, DMV cases as a whole grew by only 2 percent today -- the lowest daily growth rate since the pandemic began.
- D.C. and Maryland's doubling time -- the number of days it requires total cases to double -- has also hit its slowest pace yet: 25 days for D.C.; and 23 days for Maryland.
- D.C.’s daily cases have dropped for four days straight, and its seven-day average is also on a downward trend.
- In Maryland, the state reported 70 new deaths on Tuesday -- its highest single-day count from the virus.
- D.C. is now reporting 6,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 335 deaths.
- Maryland is reporting 34,061 cases and 1,643 deaths.
- Virginia is reporting 25,800 cases and 730 deaths.
Monday, May 11:
- Metro won't resume full service until 2021.
- While Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said most of the commonwealth has a 10% positive rate for the coronavirus, the Northern Virginia area's positive rate is 25%. A few counties in Northern Virginia accounted for more than 70% of new positive tests the state got over the weekend.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said local leaders should make their own calls on when it is safe to reopen regions.
- Maryland is reporting 30% more deaths in March than normal.
- When should businesses reopen during the coronavirus pandemic? Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a tool to assess the risk for business owners.
- D.C. unveiled the transformation of the D.C. Convention Center into a field hospital to support the District’s response to a possible medical surge.
- Virginia, which is scheduled to begin reopening on Friday, has reported increasing case numbers for four days straight. Three of those days have exceeded the seven-day average.
- D.C. and Maryland both reported daily declines in their new case numbers on Monday. The District's new case numbers have now declined for three days straight. Maryland's seven-day average remains flat.
- D.C. now has an additional 117 coronavirus cases. Five more people have died from coronavirus. Health officials said there are now 6,389 cases and 328 lives lost in the District.
- Maryland reports 786 new positive cases of coronavirus. State health officials said an additional 35 people have died as a result of the virus.
- Virginia reports 989 new positive cases of coronavirus in the commonwealth with 11 additional deaths. In total, health officials report 25,070 total cases and 850 deaths as a result of the virus so far.
Sunday, May 10:
- Northern Virginia leaders send a joint letter to Gov. Ralph Northam and a memo from the Northern Virginia Health Directors to the State Director explaining their decision to not reopen their counties despite the governor's plan.
RELATED: These 5 areas of Northern Virginia say they aren't ready to reopen yet, despite Northam's plan
- D.C. reports an increase of 170 new positive coronavirus cases, bringing the District’s overall positive case total to 6,272.
- Virginia reports 24,081 positive coronavirus cases and 839 deaths in the commonwealth.
- Five additional inmates in D.C. Department of Corrections custody tested positive for coronavirus, officials with the jail confirmed Sunday, May 10.
- Maryland now has 31,534 positive COVID-19 cases. A total of 1,510 people have died from the illness in the state.
Updates on coronavirus cases come from health departments between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. every day.
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: