Coronavirus in DC Area

More than 311,000 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and more than 7,800 people have died from the disease across the capital region of D.C., Maryland and Virginia, health officials say. As of Wednesday, 311,732 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed. D.C. reported 16,498 cases, Maryland had 137,236 cases and Virginia had 157,998 confirmed cases. A total of 7,820 people…

Arlington Public Schools canceled distance learning on Wednesday for more than 25,000 students due to an internet outage. The school system’s internet service provider notified APS of a major fiber cut in Vienna, Virginia, that is causing a service disruption affecting websites including a parent portal and an e-learning platform. The provider is working to restore internet service which should…

Arlington Public Schools faced an internet service disruption on Wednesday morning. After this report aired, the school district canceled distance learning for Wednesday. News4’s Jummy Olabanji reports.

Doctors have been using convalescent plasma as a lifesaving treatment for patients with COVID-19. Now, local doctors are giving it to people before they get sick with the virus as part of a clinical trial in our region. News4’s Doreen Gentlzer reports.

Approval for a coronavirus vaccine is likely months away, but states have already submitted plans to the Centers for Disease Control detailing how health agencies will prioritize the distribution of immunizations. D.C., Maryland and Virginia were required to submit plans last week on how they’ll distribute the first rounds of vaccines. Maryland and Virginia have revealed drafts. But D.C....

Maryland and Virginia have both revealed their vaccination plans, but the District has not made its plan public. News4’s Mark Segraves explains how the region is getting ready for an eventual vaccine.

Mayor Muriel Bowser is urging D.C. residents who use iPhone or Android smartphones to opt-in to a new app that helps fight the spread of COVID-19. The app, called DC CAN, uses an alert notification system to inform its users if they’ve been exposed to the virus. Here’s how it works. D.C. residents will be getting alerts on their...

DIstrict residents will be getting an alert on their cell phones tomorrow asking them to sign up for a new app that helps fight the spread of COVID-19. As News4’s Mark Segraves explains, the app could tell you if you’ve been exposed, but there are some concerns.

More people are donning masks and boarding planes, even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the U.S. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Monday the number of passengers screened in a single day for flights nationwide topped one million on Sunday, the highest number of passengers since the onset of the pandemic in March. The TSA also said...

The holidays are typically the busiest time of year for travel, but amid the threat of COVID-19, health experts are hoping more people stay closer to home this year. Andrew Noymer, a public health expert and professor at the University of California, Irvine, joined LX News to discuss the health risks of holiday travel and safety tips for visiting relatives...

D.C. teachers rallied over concerns about a plan for schools to go back to in-person teaching in November. News4’s Derrick Ward reports teachers are worried about how the return to classrooms will happen.

People who make non-essential trips to D.C. from 39 states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days because of coronavirus levels.  D.C.’s health department added eight states to the high-risk list early Monday: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. No states were removed from the updated list. Anyone entering the District on non-essential business from...

A group of teachers for D.C. Public Schools rallied over the weekend to voice their concerns about a plan to go back to in-person instruction in November. School officials recently announced that D.C. elementary students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade would return to in-person learning starting Nov. 9. “Through multiple layers, we are very confident that we’ll keep...

The World Health Organization released the findings of their coronavirus therapeutics study on Friday, which studied the impact of drugs like remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine on treating hospitalized coronavirus patients.

Montgomery County officials say they may have to reinstate some restrictions if COVID-19 infections continue to rise. The county’s test positivity rate is 3.2%, which is low but higher than last week. More concerning is the number of cases: They’re now averaging more than 10 cases per 100,000, which puts on hold any further reopening plans. “We were preparing an…

Controversial new research says it’s virtually impossible to contract COVID-19 on a flight if you stay seated and wear a mask. News4 Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss digs into the study.

Most new COVID-19 cases in D.C. come from social events, according to data presented Wednesday by D.C.’s health department. More than half of residents who were diagnosed in early October and spoke with contact tracers reported engaging in “high to moderate exposure” activities in which they were in close contact with others before they were diagnosed or developed symptoms....

While going to work or out to eat are some of the top ways people are getting the coronavirus in D.C., gathering with friends tops the list. News4’s Mark Segraves breaks down this new data and what it means for the holidays.

Five employees of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and one of them has died, officials say. The Largo branch office, where the five employees work, has been cleaned and disinfected but remains open, according to a Maryland Department of Transportation MVA spokesperson. Customers and staff are required to wear face coverings and participate in a…

Thousands of volunteers are taking part in the final phase of a coronavirus vaccine trial that is being watched closely by scientists around the world. News4’s Doreen Gentzler speaks with Brandon Benavides,a writer and producer for News4 and volunteer in the Moderna clinical trial.