There are currently 11,852,102 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, around the world and 2,996,098 confirmed cases across the country. The global total number of deaths stands at 544,722, and the United States’ at 131,480. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University has been keeping up-to-date information through an interactive map.
As of Wednesday morning, Virginia had 66,740 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 6,512 people hospitalized, 1,881 deaths and 725,327 people tested. Fairfax has the highest total number of cases, with 14,191 to date, with 1,681 hospitalized and 495 deaths. Arlington has reported 2,550 cases with 422 hospitalized and 131 deaths. Alexandria has 2,399 cases with 241 hospitalized and 57 deaths. Loudoun County has 4,252 cases with 280 hospitalized and 93 deaths and Prince William County has 9,543 cases (including Manassas and Manassas City), with 844 hospitalized and 172 deaths. You can keep up with the commonwealth’s daily updates here. (Virginia Department of Health)
Regional
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, tallied in at 147,705 in the DMV on Wednesday morning. Maryland reported 70,396 cases, Virginia reported 66,740 and Washington, DC reported 10,569. The death toll has reached a total of 5,582, with 3,140 in Maryland, 1,881 in Virginia and 561 in DC. (Virginia Department of Health; Maryland Department of Health; Stay Home DC!)
Local
One day after Virginia reported no deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since the pandemic started, cases are surging back up across the commonwealth. In the DMV’s reports on Tuesday, Maryland announced an increase of 492 cases, Washington, DC reported an increase of 54 cases and Virginia came in with the highest total, an increase of 638 positive cases of COVID-19. The news comes as cases across the country are surging in areas that saw minimal “first waves” of the coronavirus, including Florida, Texas, Arizona and the nearby Carolinas. (WUSA9)
Local
Arlington Public Library has permanently eliminated all overdue late fees, with the goal of making the library’s collections more accessible to all Arlington County residents. The loss in revenue of overdue fees is expected to be $10,000, but a fine for losing library materials will remain in place, which the county says should cover the gap in the budget for 2021. The news also comes as many across the region were told to hold on to their library books and not return them until libraries were able to reopen safely and process book returns. (ARL Now)
Regional
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, the affluent, metropolitan county in the DMV reported it’s 19,000th confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, giving the county a higher count than 20 states across the country, despite having a smaller population than all but five of them. The county is sometimes known as the “wealthiest Black county in America,” ranking in the top 30 counties for the highest population of Black residents, but the wealth has not shielded the effects of the spread and impact of the novel coronavirus. (WUSA9)
National
The White House is pressing schools to reopen in the fall, with several efforts to pressure governors and local school board leaders across the country to have full, in-person instruction, as well as requiring all international university-level students to have at least one in-person class to retain their student visas. Several states have already established that K through 12 schools will reopen partially for in-person instruction, with the option of all virtual schooling with the guidance of parents/guardians. (The Washington Post)
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