D.C. officials flagged a high daily COVID-19 case rate and long testing turnaround times on Sunday.
Data released by the District says the seven-day average of cases per 100,000 residents now tops 27. D.C. flagged this metric as red in its system of green, yellow or red indicators. The average test turnaround time also is red and tops four days.
D.C. announced another 140 cases of the virus on Sunday. Two more people died, including a 49-year-old man.
Black residents continue to disproportionately be killed by the virus. Seventy-four percent of D.C. residents who died of COVID-19 were Black or African American, the city said. Black residents make up an estimated 46% of the city’s population.
A day earlier, D.C. announced more new coronavirus infections on Saturday than on any other day since the pandemic began. The number of new infections was 371 on Saturday. The District only once before diagnosed more than 300 new cases in a single day, on May 1.
Sunday’s number was 140 cases.
What the Data Shows
D.C. announced on Sunday another 140 cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths. In Maryland, another 1,999 people tested positive. Twenty-three more deaths were announced. And in Virginia, another 1,614 people tested positive and four more people died.
The seven-day rolling average of cases was about steady in all three jurisdictions, as compared with previous days.
Local Coronavirus Headlines
- Fairfax County health officials released a list of holiday coronavirus guidelines, breaking up activities into varying risk categories.
- Some Fairfax County students have returned to all-virtual learning amid a rise in coronavirus cases.
- A total of 51,510 coronavirus tests were administered in Maryland last Friday, the highest ever on a single day.
- The Smithsonian is shutting down its museums and the National Zoo once again due to recent spikes in COVID-19 cases.
- A program that provided extended unemployment benefits to out-of-work Virginians ended earlier this month.
- COVID-19 numbers continue to paint a dire picture for Black Americans, and there is an ongoing effort in the Black community to increase testing.
- The Metro board voted to close a budget gap by changing how often trains run.
- Officials have reversed a decision to cancel the annual Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery. The event, held in December, will happen after all.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced how the state will allocate about $70 million in federal aid as the state braces for months of rising coronavirus cases.
- Maryland released a new contact tracing app, and has reduced indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations.
- A review by the News4 I-Team has found concerns that Prince George’s County, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, has received what some are calling an underwhelming share of the more than $165 million in aid thus far.
- D.C. now requires travelers from all but four states get tested for COVID-19, once before travel and again if they plan to stay in the District for more than three days. Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii and Vermont are the exceptions.
Reopening Tracker
- Maryland tightened restrictions on businesses, bars and restaurants.
- All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed because of rising COVID-19 cases, officials announced.
- Hours before some Fairfax County students were set to return to in-person learning, the school district said that they needed to delay the plan.
- Courts throughout Maryland partially shut down due to the pandemic.
- Virginia announced new measures to fight COVID-19 as cases of the virus have spiked across the country.
- Prince George's County tightened restrictions and required masks to be worn outdoors.
- Montgomery County reduced capacity limits at many businesses, including for indoor dining, to 25%. The county previously stopped giving waivers for alcohol sales after 10 p.m.
- D.C.'s mayor extended the city's coronavirus state of emergency to last through the end of the year.
How to Stay Safe
There are ways to lower your risk of catching coronavirus. Here are guidelines from the CDC:
- 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.