The list of changes forced by the coronavirus pandemic is endless and now includes how the country and the D.C. area honor the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Mostly wearing masks, a few dozen people gathered at the Pentagon to pay respects to 184 people killed there. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley read the names of the victims in the socially distant ceremony. The public was asked to participate only online.
Arlington County, home of the Pentagon, held a mostly virtual commemoration ceremony. Prince William County, where 22 victims of the attack had lived, posted a commemorative video online.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official, warned of a possible future uptick in coronavirus cases. In the next couple of weeks, it's possible that the country will see a rise in cases related to the Labor Day holiday.
The turn to fall weather could also make the pandemic worse, he said.
"I think as we get into the fall, and we do more indoor things, we are likely going to see upticks of COVID-19," Fauci said.
On Friday, D.C. saw its largest one-day increase of new coronavirus cases in nearly a month.
Maryland has a plan to ramp up COVID-19 testing. Gov. Larry Hogan says that the state will be the first member of a multistate coalition to purchase a large amount of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests.
Here's where we stand as the virus continues to change our lives in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
What the Data Shows
D.C. reported a large-one day increase of new coronavirus cases on Friday: Eighty-one new infections were counted. That's the highest increase since Aug. 14.
The spike contributed to a jump in the seven-day average case count for the District. It's now at 44, an increase of four cases from Thursday.
There are signs that the situations in Maryland and Virginia are improving. During the past week, Maryland's average case count fell from 595 to 556 and Virginia's fell from 973 to 921.
Maryland reported 646 new cases on Friday and Virginia reported 1,084.
The map below shows the number of coronavirus cases diagnosed per 1,000 residents.
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
Local Coronavirus Headlines
- Gov. Larry Hogan says that the state will be the first member of a multistate coalition to purchase a large amount of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests. Read more.
- Some D.C. Public Schools students could be back in the classroom as early as this month, the mayor said. Read more
- Up to 25,000 low-income students and families in D.C. are set to be provided free internet connections under a new initiative from Mayor Muriel Bowser. Here's what to know.
- What can sewage tell us about COVID-19 in our communities? Stafford County, Virginia, provides an example.
- Washington, D.C., has released an updated list of states that are considered “high risk” during the coronavirus pandemic and subject to travel restrictions. Here's the list.
- Dozens of University of Maryland students have tested positive for COVID-19 since the fall semester began last week and a limited number of students moved on campus. Read more.
- Before the school year starts online, Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria held an outdoor “blessing of the Chromebooks.” See video here.
- Maryland entered phase three of reopening Friday, but several counties say they aren't prepared to move forward yet. Read more.
- Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been targeted by scammers during the pandemic, likely including one family who had a strange experience after listing their home for sale. Read the News4 I-Team report.
- Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Friday to legislation aimed at making absentee voting easier. Here's what to know.
- Public tours of the White House, halted nearly six months ago due to the coronavirus outbreak, are set to resume later this month with new health and safety policies in place. Read more.
- People collecting unemployment insurance in the D.C. region soon will begin seeing the extra $300 President Donald Trump promised — some sooner than others. Read more.
- D.C. Public Schools are seeing a 70% drop in vaccinations among students. Here's more information.
- James Madison University will move primarily to online learning after hundreds of students were diagnosed with COVID-19 less than two weeks after students returned to campus. Read more.
- Dozens of inmates at a West Virginia prison have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials said. Read more.
- Arlington County police have begun enforcing social distancing in the nightlife area of Clarendon. Read more.
Reopening Tracker
- Montgomery and Prince George's counties are among those that won't enter phase three with the state of Maryland. Here's a roundup of counties in our area.
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he has authorized all public schools in the state to begin “safely” reopening because state metrics on the coronavirus show improvements. The state “strongly suggests” that local school districts bring students back into schools but cannot force them to do so, Hogan said. Montgomery and Prince George's schools have both affirmed that they are not altering plans to host classes online throughout the first half of the school year.
- Private and parochial schools in Maryland can choose when to reopen after a back-and-forth between county health officials and the governor. Read more.
- Prince George's County revisited its phase two reopening executive order due to an uptick in coronavirus cases, according to the county executive's office.
- Virginia entered phase three reopening on July 1, loosening restrictions on restaurants, stores, gyms and pools. Northam has said more restrictions could be implemented if cases continue to grow.
- Prince George's County entered full phase two on June 23, allowing the MGM Casino and gyms to reopen.
- D.C. entered phase two on June 22, allowing indoor dining, gyms, libraries and houses of worship to reopen with restrictions.
- Montgomery County entered phase two on June 19, reopening with restrictions gyms, houses of worship, indoor dining and retail.
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.
Sophia Barnes, Andrea Swalec and Anisa Holmes contributed to this report
Coronavirus Deaths in Your City and State — and Across the US
These charts use daily coronavirus death data from Johns Hopkins University to show the seven-day moving average of deaths at the city, state and country level.
The impact of coronavirus varies enormously in the United States from one place to another.
Source: Johns Hopkins University.
Credit: Visuals by Amy O’Kruk/NBC, data analysis by Ron Campbell/NBC
