What the Data Shows
The weather is warming and Maryland has become the latest state to announce plans to dramatically loosen pandemic restrictions, but how does the data stack up?
Both Maryland and Virginia have roughly cut their weekly average count of new COVID-19 cases in half over the past month. But the numbers have been trending the wrong direction in the past week.
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In Maryland, the number of people vaccinated is increasing daily. But after a period of steady decline, there are early signs that infections are speeding up.
Maryland added 900 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the weekly new case average to 801, a jump of 16 from Tuesday.
D.C.’s average new cases increased by six to 170. The average has been headed in the wrong direction for two weeks, with consistent growing numbers.
Virginia was the area that saw a decrease on Wednesday, with the weekly average falling by seven cases to 1,128. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased slightly to 801 in Maryland but fell in D.C. and Virginia. Hospitalizations are considered a lagging indicator which rise weeks after cases go up.
Local Coronavirus Headlines
More Vaccines at Six Flags Site Reserved for Prince George's Residents
Amid concerns that Maryland isn't distributing vaccines equitably, Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced that more shots will be set aside at a mass vaccination site for county residents.
Going forward, the Six Flags America site near Upper Marlboro will set aside at least 300 appointments a day for Prince George's residents, an increase of at least 500 a week.
Alsobrooks has been pushing for more vaccine outreach in Prince George's. Last week, she said that only about 10% of vaccinations given at the site were to Prince George's residents, WTOP reported.
“With vaccine supply from the federal government set to increase in the coming weeks, we are able to further expand priority appointments for Prince Georgians,” Hogan said.
Read More:
- D.C. launched a new vaccine pre-registration system. Here are your questions about it, answered.
- Maryland will lift capacity restrictions on restaurants, bars, religious facilities and gyms starting Friday at 5 p.m., but several safety precautions will remain in place, the governor announced.
- Other than supply, equity continues to be one of the biggest issues plaguing the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Maryland.
- A story to make you smile: A Maryland EMT reunited with his grandmother after a year by giving her the COVID-19 vaccine.
- The District’s high-capacity COVID-19 vaccination clinics received rave reviews from many residents who showed up for their one-shot dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
- A year after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency following the state’s first three confirmed cases of COVID-19, one of those patients says she's still traumatized by social media's reaction to her diagnosis.
- In the next few weeks, many more Virginians will be heading to pharmacies for their shots. But there's still one problem — not all the pharmacies can coordinate with the state's vaccine waiting list.
- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lost her only sister and oldest sibling to COVID-19.
- More than 1,000 Washington, D.C., residents have now died of COVID-19.
- NBC News is making finding information on when, how and where to obtain your coronavirus vaccination easier with its Plan Your Vaccine website.
- Medical schools across the country report a spike in applications, especially from students of color. At Georgetown University’s medical school, applications are up 24% overall and 40% from underrepresented minorities. The University of Maryland along with Howard University have also seen a rising number of applicants.
Key Charts and Graphs
The vaccinated population in D.C. may be overestimated in this map because some non-residents who work in D.C. are included in the totals.
Vaccination Portals by County
As vaccinations in our region ramp up, here's a look at local portals residents can use to sign up for vaccination appointments or sign up to receive alerts.
- Washington, D.C. signups– vaccinate.dc.gov
- Maryland signups – www.marylandvax.org/ and covidvax.maryland.gov
- Virginia information – www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/
- Montgomery County – www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/
- Prince George's County – www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/3730/COVID-19-Vaccination
- Howard County – www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Health/MM-Alerts-and-Recalls/COVID-19-Vaccine
- Anne Arundel County – aahealth.org/covid-19-vaccine-faq/
- Fairfax County – www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine
- City of Alexandria – www.alexandriava.gov/health/info/default.aspx?id=119270
- Loudoun County – www.loudoun.gov/covid19vaccine
- Prince William County – coronavirus.pwcgov.org/vaccine-information/ & VDH
How to Stay Safe
Anyone can get COVID-19. Here are three simple ways the CDC says you can lower your risk:
- Wear a snug-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth.
- Avoid being indoors with people who are not members of your household. The more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19. If you are indoors with people you don’t live with, stay at least six feet apart and keep your mask on.
- Wash your hands often, especially after you have been in a public place.
