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.
- As new cases have begun rising again in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam has promised stricter enforcement of mask and social distancing rules. What that means 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. is not meeting two metrics it needs to begin Phase 3: A 14-day sustained decrease in cases in the community and a sustained low transmission rate below 1 new infection per case. The latter metric has been worsening since June 30.
- DC Health reports than more than 100,000 District residents have now been tested for the coronavirus, and another 40,000 non-residents have been tested in the city as well. D.C. coronavirus live updates
- Maryland has now been on an upward trend in new coronavirus cases for three consecutive weeks.
- As WUSA9 reported Wednesday, Montgomery County will begin cracking down on mask and social distancing enforcement, particularly at construction sites.
- Despite the increase in new cases, Maryland remains on the same downward trend in coronavirus deaths it has been on since late May. Maryland coronavirus live updates
- On Thursday, Virginia reported its 2,000th death from the coronavirus.
- Virginia is now averaging more than 900 new cases of the coronavirus a day. That’s the rate the commonwealth was at in early June, and nearly 75% of Virginia’s peak daily case rate. Virginia coronavirus live updates
Wednesday, July 15:
- D.C. reported 80 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday – its highest single-day case count in more than a month. The District also reported 3 new deaths from the virus, breaking a five-day streak without them.
- On Wednesday, the District reported its 11,000th positive case of the coronavirus.
- DC Health reports the median transmission rate for the virus – the number of people who will be infected by each positive case – is now above the city’s goal of 1. It had been below 1 new case per infection since the beginning of May.
- Maryland has set new monthly high case counts for three out of the last four days, including Wednesday’s count of 756 new cases. That’s the state’s highest single-day count since June 5.
- On Wednesday, Prince George’s County reported its 20,000th case of the coronavirus. The county leads the D.C. metro in COVID-19 cases for a number of reasons, as WUSA9 has previously reported.
- Maryland on Wednesday reported the state’s 75,000th case of the coronavirus. According to data tracked by the New York Times, that puts it back into the top 10 states by number of coronavirus cases per capita.
- Virginia reported 1,084 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday – the first time the commonwealth has broken the 1,000 mark since June 7.
- Virginia’s 7-day average for new cases has increased by more than 100% over the past two weeks, growing from 527 on July 1 to 879 as of Wednesday.
- The percent positivity of new tests in Virginia has been steadily rising for weeks despite a similar increase in the number of tests performed. As of Wednesday, it’s now above 7%.
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: