Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will release details Friday on how the state will reopen in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
The “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery” will be gradual and safe, Hogan said earlier this week. He emphasized that federal guidelines call for a downward trend in key numbers such as hospitalizations before implementing even the start of reopening.
“We are not at that point, and if you look at the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area, we’re still — although we’re hopeful that we’re going to start to see some numbers level off —we’re still currently on an upward trajectory rather than a downward trajectory,” the governor said.
Hogan will speak at 3 p.m. Friday. You can watch live on NBCWashington.com and in the NBC Washington app.
The reopening has four building blocks that need to be in place before the state can begin lifting restrictions. They are enhancing testing capacity, increasing the number of hospital beds, raising the amount of personal protective equipment and creating a robust contact tracing operation. Hogan said the state has made significant progress in all four areas.
Here’s where we are Friday in the fight against coronavirus in the D.C. area.
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
As of Friday morning, 31,313 cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed in the region. D.C. had reported 3,528 cases, Maryland had 16,616 and Virginia had 11,169 confirmed cases. At least 1,283 people with the virus 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
The White House is planning Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall despite the pandemic, the president said. He said attendance would be limited to 25% the number of people who attended last year.
“This year, most likely, we’ll be standing six feet apart,” Trump said.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced he will extend a ban on non-emergency surgeries for another week, even as a group representing more than 100 hospitals in the state asked him to allow the ban to expire on Friday.
The governor said the ban will remain in place until May 1 while he and the state health commissioner evaluate how to safely ease restrictions on nonessential medical procedures and the availability of personal protective equipment.
More than 235,000 people applied for unemployment benefits from Maryland in a three-week period. The state launched a new website Friday morning and many users reported having trouble with it. Officials are looking into it, a spokesman for the governor said.
And something inspiring in our area: More than 1,000 people have donated some or all of their federal stimulus checks to D.C.-area immigrants and others who don’t qualify for the funds. The fund had raised more than $426,000 as of Friday morning.
“Immigrants serve our country with their labor and deserve our help in their times of need,” one donor said.
D.C.’s mayor and Virginia’s governor will address the public at 2 p.m. Maryland’s governor will speak at 3 p.m. You can watch live on NBCWashington.com and in the NBC Washington app.
