Nursing homes, long-term care facilities and senior living communities in the D.C. area are grappling with coronavirus cases.
Ninety residents of nursing homes in Charles County have tested positive for the virus, across six facilities. Twenty-three employees also were infected. Thirteen people in the county have died of the virus. Officials declined to say if any of the deaths were linked to nursing homes.
In Ashburn, one resident of the Waltonwood at Ashburn senior living community has died of the virus and one employee tested positive. Twenty-three workers took emergency leave.
D.C.’s mayor and the governors of Maryland and Virginia have said they’re paying special attention to facilities where senior citizens live. Last week, Maryland announced that “strike teams” made up of members of the National Guard and health officials would respond to nursing homes hit hard by the virus.
Here’s where we are Friday in the fight against coronavirus in the D.C. area.
As of Friday morning, 20,625 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the region. D.C. reported 2,350 cases, Maryland had 10,784 and Virginia had 7,491. At least 704 people have died. Go here for full details.
Coronavirus Cases in DC, Maryland and Virginia
COVID-19 cases by population in D.C. and by county in Maryland and Virginia
Source: DC, MD and VA Health Departments
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Virginia officials warned that the state may have more coronavirus cases than those included in official figures from the health department. In many cases, a doctor makes a clinical diagnosis without a test and sends the patient home to self-quarantine. Virginia has tested 46,444 patients for coronavirus, according to state data released Thursday. That represents about 0.5% of the state's 8.5 million residents.
By next week, D.C. unemployment recipients will get an extra $600 per week thanks to the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday.
People approved for unemployment in Maryland and Virginia also will start seeing the extra $600 per week soon, representatives for the states’ departments of labor said.
A group of people organized in Richmond on Thursday and urged the governor to reopen Virginia. Protester Kelly Mullin brought her sons and a “don’t tread on me” flag. She said she thought the risk posed by the coronavirus depended on an individual’s health.
Fairfax County had to pause distance learning on Thursday because of technical issues. The company Blackboard apologized, and school district officials said online learning would resume Monday.
And here’s just one example of the many people and businesses trying to do good in our area: In Beltsville, the store Will’s Decorating is giving away fabric for making face masks.
“It’s so needed in this area that we wouldn’t think about selling it,” co-owner Michael Richards said.
D.C.’s mayor will give an update at 11 a.m. on schools and the virus response. Virginia’s governor will speak at 2 p.m. and Maryland’s governor will speak at 2:30 p.m. You can watch live on NBCWashington.com and in the NBC Washington app.
