There are over 1,997,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, around the world and over 3,120,000 have been tested in the United States. The global total number of deaths stands at 127,601. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University has been keeping up-to-date information through an interactive map.
Virginia now has 6,171 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 978 people hospitalized, 154 deaths and 42,763 people tested. Fairfax has the highest total number of cases, with 1,207 to date. Arlington has reported 401, Alexandria has 247, Loudoun County has 344 and Prince William County has 570 (including Manassas and Manassas City). You can keep up with the commonwealth’s daily updates here. (Virginia Department of Health)
Local
The number of COVID-19 cases in the DMV has risen to 17,735 as of Wednesday morning, with 6,171 in Virginia, 9,476 cases in Maryland and 2,062 in Washington, DC. The death toll stands at 303 in Maryland, 154 in Virginia and 68 in DC, for a total of 525 fatalities. (The Washington Post)
Local
Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to announce an extension on the closure of non-essential businesses in Virginia today, which originally expires on Thursday, April 23. Virginians are also following a separate stay-at-home order, in effect until June 10. (The Washington Post)
Local
A two-hour delay is in effect for Fairfax County Public Schools on Wednesday for a handful of middle schools and elementary schools. Teacher-led instruction is being delayed due to the school system enacting “enhanced security upgrades” for teachers through the online system, Blackboard. (WTOP)
Local
According to the director of Alexandria’s health department, Northern Virginia hospitals are meeting the challenge of COVID-19 head on. “This changes every day and will change significantly every week, but their current modeling at the hospital, and this is for all of Northern Virginia, is that they have the capacity to handle any surge that is currently modeled,” said Dr. Stephen Haering, director of the Alexandria Health Department, in an online meeting Tuesday night of the mayor and city council. (WTOP)
Local
The first Virginia-based inmate has died of the novel coronavirus, a woman at Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland. She was 49 years old and suffered from asthma and hepatitis C, and tested positive for the virus on April 5. She was serving a nine-year sentence, expected to be released in 2023. (WTOP)
Regional
WMATA is now encouraging all riders to wear face coverings or masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The formal recommendation extends to all rail stations, bus terminals and other transit facilities. (The Washington Post)
Regional
On Tuesday, Washington, DC reported 15 new deaths from COVID-19, reaching a total of 68. All but two of the fatalities reported involved black patients, as the virus continues to disproportionately affect African Americans in the city, as well as Maryland. (The Washington Post)
Regional
On Tuesday, DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser updated her original statements to say she predicts the city could see a peak in cases in late May, as long as residents continue to follow social distancing and the stay-at-home order. She had originally predicted that the peak could hit the metropolitan area in late June and early July. (WTOP)
Regional
One of the nation’s deadliest coronavirus outbreaks in Henrico County, Virginia (just outside of Richmond) at the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center has reported 45 deaths related to COVID-19 as of Tuesday, April 14. “By the time tests were finally conducted on everyone at Canterbury about two weeks after the first confirmed case, more than half the residents infected with coronavirus—53 out of 92—showed no symptoms of the disease,” according to WTOP. (WTOP)
The spread of COVID-19 continues to impact the Northern Virginia region on a daily basis. If you’re looking for ways to stay entertained at home, check out our Things to Do page, and stay up to date by subscribing to our weekly newsletters.
