Some residents of Prince George’s County said they were refused when they tried to get a second test of coronavirus.
A sign reading “No Retest” was seen at a funeral Saturday in Chillum. County officials said the sign was removed and that all Prince Georgians should receive a test if “they are symptomatic, have a known or suspected exposure to a positive case, or are part of a county contact who is following case investigation. “
This comes as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan reported a new low for the state’s positivity rate and for several counties, including Prince George’s. The state recorded a positivity rate of 3.75% and the province had 5.53%.
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The Virginia Department of Health said a technical issue resulted in cases having to be reported on Wednesday and Thursday on Friday.
However, even in the past week was average, the impetus of new cases indicates that Virginia may still be in that direction.
Data from Maryland and DC support the idea that the uptick in those areas is declining first. And Maryland’s share of positive cases fell below 4% for the first time.
Accidents are bubbling over between leaders in the suburbs of Maryland and the governor’s office over two major fall events: elections and back-to-school.
Gov. Larry Hogan wants all Maryland polling stations to open for the November election after long lines and delays during the primaries.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has criticized the governor’s plan and accused him of putting politics above health and safety. She proposes several things, including opening just 15 polling stations in the province on election day and expanding early voting.
The State Board of Elections Friday to reconsider its recommendations to Governor XX
The Montgomery County School Board approved a plan to conduct public schools the first semester of classes online. There was a dispute between the province and the state over the question of whether private schools could hold personal classes.
Health officer Travis Gayles on Wednesday issued an order requiring non-public schools to remain closed through Oct. 1.
What the data shows
DC, Maryland and Virginia are making progress on reducing the number of new cases added on average each day. But levels are still significantly higher than they were a month ago.
Virginia reported 841 new cases Sunday.
More than 1 million Marylanders have been tested for coronavirus, the governor said Friday. As disaster testing progresses, fewer cases return to the state, indicating an infection, Hogan said.
The state reached a new record low for the daily positivity rate at 2.75%.
DC saw the highest recorded jump since July 21 with 100 business news falls Sunday.
The map below shows the number of coronavirus cases diagnosed per 1000 inhabitants.
Coronavirus cases in DC, Maryland and Virginia
COVID-19 cases per capita in DC and by county in Maryland and Virginia
Local headers of Coronavirus
- New research by Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, found racial differences in how the coronavirus affects children. Read more.
- Virginia has unveiled a smartphone app to automatically alert people when they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, became the first U.S. state to use new pandemic technology created by Apple and Google. Read more.
- A group of frontline staff and union leaders at the Washington DC VA Medical Center said the agency does not provide workers who are potentially exposed to COVID-19 work leave to prevent the further spread of the virus. Read more.
- Several parents deserve the right to send their children personally to private school in Montgomery County, Maryland. Read more.
- A new study from the University of Virginia estimates that very few Virginians have COVID-19 antibodies. Read more.
- Some dealers at MGM National Harbor say between positive cases of coronavirus and quarantine, the casino is losing employees. Read more.
- Anyone who recently attended services at one Catholic church in DC is advised to become self-quarantine after the pastor, who has criticized coronavirus-related restrictions, tested positive for the virus. Read more.
- American Airlines says a flight from Virginia was delayed after a passenger refused to comply with his policy requiring a face mask. Read more.
Reopen Tracker
- Private and parish schools in Maryland can choose when they need to reopen after a back-and-forth between health care officials and the governor. Read more.
- Prince George’s County is changing its phase two executive order due to an uptick in coronavirus cases, according to the county’s county office.
- Virginia stepped into Phase Three on July 1, free of restrictions on restaurants, shops, gyms and swimming pools. Northam said more restrictions could be implemented as cases continue to grow.
- Prince George’s County entered full phase two on June 23, allowing the MGM Casino and gyms to reopen.
- DC, entered phase two on June 22, allowing indoor dining, gyms, libraries and houses of worship to reopen with restrictions.
- Montgomery County entered phase one on June 19, reopening with restraints gyms, houses of worship, indoor dining and retail.
- Maryland entered phase two of the opening on June 10, allowing indoor dining, outdoor pools and outdoor entertainment to open.
How to stay safe
There are ways to reduce your risk of catching coronavirus. Here are CDC guidelines:
- Anyone over the age of 2 should wear a mask or face mask. Hold it over your nose and mouth.
- Wash your hands often. When doing so, scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. As a backup, use your sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid close contact with anyone living outside your home. That means you stay six feet away from anyone outside your circle, even if you are wearing masks.
- Always keep coughing and sneezing.
- Legs and disinfect surfaces with frequent contact.
Sophia Barnes, Andrea Swalec and Anisa Holmes contributed to this report
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