April 12, 10:45 a.m.: The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in D.C, Maryland, and Virginia grew by about 6 percent in the past 24 hours, marking the lowest daily increase in weeks.

However, those numbers are likely affected by the Virginia Department of Health being in the midst of modifying its reporting process. It notes that today’s report could be underestimating the number of cases because the state is “introducing enhancements to our COVID-19 reporting structure.” It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what those enhancements were.

Virginia reported just under a 4 percent increase in cases over the past 24 hours for a total of 5,274 cases—the state’s smallest daily increase in cases in nearly two weeks—and 11 new COVID-19 fatalities for a total of 141 deaths.

Maryland reported a 7 percent increase in confirmed cases for a state total of 8,225 cases. It did see a 14 percent jump in the number of deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 235.

Maryland also began posting data by zip code for the first time. The five zip codes with the most cases were 21215 in Baltimore County, three zip codes in Silver Spring (20904, 20906 and 20902), plus 20744 in Fort Washington (Prince George’s County), according to a tweet by Gov. Larry Hogan.

The number of confirmed cases in the District increased to 1,875, about 5 percent more from the day before. Three more D.C. residents died from COVID-19, bringing the city’s total up to 50 fatalities. —Mikaela Lefrak and Jeffrey Katz

More Stories from Saturday

• National Park Service Closes Roads In Three D.C. Parks To Car Traffic
• Shoppers In Prince George’s Must Wear Face Masks
• More D.C. Inmates Test Positive
• Police Enforce Social Distancing At Meridian Hill, Lincoln Park
• Hogan, National Governors Association Call For $500 Billion To Bolster State Coffers
• Maryland Receives $742 Million From Congress For Hospitals, Health Care Providers
• More than 380 People Have Died As Coronavirus Cases Top 14,500 Across D.C., Maryland, Virginia

National Park Service Closes Roads In Three D.C. Parks To Car Traffic

April 11, 8:59 p.m.: Roads in three federal parks in D.C. will close to vehicles so residents can use the space for exercise.

The National Park Service and the United States Park Police will close Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park and roads in Fort Dupont Park and Anacostia Park until April 30, according to a news release from Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Bowser requested the closures this week after initially resisting calls from residents who said the closures could prevent crowding as people walk and bike.

The mayor has ordered residents to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, except for essential activities, including exercise.

Beach Drive is already closed to traffic on weekends. Anacostia Park and Fort Davis Drive in Fort DuPont Park will be blocked off to cars from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the release. —Debbie Truong

Shoppers In Prince George’s Must Wear Face Masks

April 11, 7:30 p.m.: Prince George’s County’s top leader is ordering shoppers to wear masks or face coverings in grocery stores to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Masks must also be worn at pharmacies and large retail businesses starting Wednesday, said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The directive also applies to travelers who use the county’s bus system, TheBus.

“We know there are people with the virus who are walking around and showing no symptoms, and these actions will prevent them from spreading it to others,” Alsobrooks said in a statement on Saturday.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a similar mandate directing people to wear face masks to grocery stores earlier this week. —Debbie Truong

More D.C. Inmates Test Positive

April 11, 3:45 p.m. (updated 9:13 p.m.): Four more inmates in D.C. have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total cases in the city’s correctional facilities to 51.

Forty-two inmates are in isolation, officials with the Department of Corrections said in a news release Saturday. Nine others who have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have returned to the jail’s general population.

The new cases involve men between the ages of 23 and 40 years old.

The Department of Corrections runs two facilities that incarcerate people in D.C. — the Central Detention Facility, known as the D.C. Jail, and a medium-security facility attached to it called the Correctional Treatment Facility. The population of the D.C. Jail has dropped in the last month. There have been similar efforts across the country as officials try to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Two of the men recently sickened by the coronavirus had been in quarantine at the Correctional Treatment Facility as a precaution, after a person in their unit tested positive for the virus. The two other men are housed at the Central Detention Facility, according to the release.

More than 30 faculty members at medical schools in the Washington region, including Georgetown University and Howard University, wrote a letter this week encouraging the release of low-level offenders from jails and prisons to prevent the virus from spreading.

“As public health experts, we believe these steps are essential to support the health of incarcerated individuals, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” the letter said. “ Our compassion for and treatment of these populations impact us all.”—Debbie Truong

Police Enforce Social Distancing At Meridian Hill, Lincoln Park

April 11, 2:38 p.m.: D.C. police officers and members of the D.C. National Guard have been positioned at several local parks to enforce social distancing measures.

Meridian Hill Park, otherwise known as Malcolm X Park, has been a popular gathering space even in recent weeks. On Friday officers spoke to people sitting on benches. A number of people who appeared headed for the green space turned away when they saw police stationed near the northeast entrance.

Officers will tell people to move along if they sit on a bench and pull out a book, according to Washington Post reporter Paul Schwartzman.

Officers have also been spotted at a park at the intersection of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Ave in Congress Heights and Capitol Hill’s Lincoln Park, where there were at least nine cruisers and four National Guard members there on Friday, Hill Rag reported.

The Metropolitan Police Department declined to answer which parks they are stationed at, saying only that the force “is deployed to serve all of the District of Columbia” and that members “who observe large gatherings on public spaces will notify the gathered group of health and safety risks.”

MPD and National Guard members were also on hand at the Municipal Fish Market at The Wharf, which reopened today after being shut down last week due to crowding.

The National Park Service has closed visitor centers, restrooms and concession stands around the region, but most outdoor sites remain accessible. After initially declining to close streets to vehicular traffic, Mayor Muriel Bowser called on NPS to close roads in several parks to allow for exercise at a safe social distance, but the agency said it would not do so immediately. —Rachel Sadon

Hogan, National Governors Association Call For $500 Billion To Bolster State Coffers

April 11, 1:10 p.m.: The nation’s governors are calling for $500 billion in additional federal funding to help offset the loss of state revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who serves as the chairman of the National Governors Association, issued a joint statement with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the vice chair of the association, calling for “immediate fiscal assistance.”

“Despite this grave challenge, the recently passed federal CARES Act contained zero funding to offset these drastic state revenue shortfalls,” the statement read. “To stabilize state budgets and to make sure states have the resources to battle the virus and provide the services the American people rely on, Congress must provide immediate fiscal assistance directly to all states.”

Maryland could lose as much as $2.8 billion this fiscal year, which ends June 30, amid steep declines in revenue from sales and income taxes, the state’s comptroller and the director of the Bureau of Revenue Estimates said Friday. That would amount to 15% of Maryland’s general fund.

The governors say the $500 billion should be separate from any money that is intended for local governments also combating the coronavirus.

“In the absence of unrestricted fiscal support of at least $500 billion from the federal government, states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to critically important services all across this country, hampering public health, the economic recovery, and — in turn — our collective effort to get people back to work,” Hogan and Cuomo wrote. —Zuri Berry

Maryland Receives $742 Million From Congress For Hospitals, Health Care Providers

April 11, 11:29 a.m.: Maryland’s hospitals and health care providers will receive $742 million from the federal government to help health care providers and hospitals cover the cost of combating the coronavirus pandemic.

This comes as Congress approved legislation to provide $30 billion in emergency funding to health care providers, local governments, and hospitals across the United States. In Maryland, $400 million will go to hospitals and $342 million will be allocated to outpatient health care providers.

“Cost constraints and the need to operate within existing funding structures must not inhibit [hospitals’] ability to respond effectively,” Maryland’s Congressional delegation staff wrote in a statement. They added that distributions from the fund should be allocated transparently to the state’s hospitals, “including those in emerging hotspots such as the Baltimore-Washington Corridor, and should recognize the essential role of other health care providers who treat vulnerable and low-income populations.”

Governor Larry Hogan announced that the Baltimore-Washington area was designated a coronavirus hotspot by the federal government last week. Congress also approved a separate $15.6 million for community health centers and $48 million to local governments in Maryland. –Dominique Maria Bonessi

More than 380 People Have Died As Coronavirus Cases Top 14,500 Across D.C., Maryland, Virginia

April 11, 10:52 a.m.: The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in D.C, Maryland, and Virginia grew nearly 11% over the past day.

Nine people, ranging in age from their late 50s to mid 90s, died in D.C., bringing the city’s number of deaths to 47. The latest figures continue to show major racial disparities, with black Washingtonians making up more than 70% of those who have died. The city now has 1,778 confirmed cases.

Virginia also registered nine new deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related fatalities in the commonwealth to 130. Officials reported more than 500 new cases over the past 24 hours, with the total number now crossing 5,000.

The biggest increase in cases came in Maryland, where cases rose by more than 700 to 7,694. The state also reported 33 deaths in the past day, bringing its total to more than 200.

In total, the region has registered 14,549 cases and 383 deaths. — Rachel Sadon

More Stories from Friday

• In Arlington, A New Effort To Expand Food Assistance Programs
• Mayor Bowser Will Give Good Time Credit To People With Misdemeanor Charges In D.C. Jail
• A Cotton(tail) Addition To Maryland’s Essential Workforce — No, It’s Not A Homemade Mask
• Northam Proposes Early Release For Some Virginia Prisoners
• D.C. Court Says Marriage Licenses Will Be Available, But Only For ‘Emergency Matters’
• At Least Nine Capitol Police Officers Have Tested Positive
• Maryland Government Could Lose $2.8 Billion By The End Of June
• Bowser Asks Park Service To Close Roads In Three Parks To Cars
• Known Cases Of Coronavirus Top 13,000 In The Washington Region

In Arlington, A New Effort To Expand Food Assistance Programs

April 10, 9:00 p.m.: Arlington County has announced a new effort to centralize and improve ongoing food assistance amid the pandemic. To facilitate that, a new county-led organization, the Cooperative For A Hunger-Free Arlington (CHFA), has been created.

“CHFA will be working to expand community food distribution models that are working now and to add new initiatives, creating a network of resources to meet residents’ needs,” the county announced in a press release. “The faith community, PTAs, civic associations, nonprofit organizations, businesses and citizens all are engaged in important work that can grow.”

The effort includes exploring the possibility of delivering meals and groceries directly to households, as well as adding locations where groceries from the Arlington Food Assistance Center would be available for pickup.

Three people have been tapped to lead the new effort: Abby Raphael, a former Chair of the Arlington County School Board; Diane Kresh, who leads the Arlington Department of Libraries; and Amy Maclosky, who runs Food and Nutrition Services at Arlington Public Schools.

“They will help foster collaboration across Arlington to support community member needs,” and work to solve food access problems as they arise, according to the announcement.

“The CHFA work focuses on making sure that people know what resources are available, whom to call and how to safely access nutritious food. It will take all of us working together to help our most vulnerable neighbors get through this pandemic,” Raphael said.

Arlington Public Schools has been distributing food to students since mid-March, and the operation — as well as the need for it — have both grown since then, Maclosky said. The school system will have a total of seven distribution sites starting April 13.

“We are now looking forward to stronger countywide collaboration to address future needs and ensure that all students can easily access food,” Maclosky said.

A list of Arlington food assistance programs can be found here. –Margaret Barthel

Mayor Bowser Will Give Good Time Credit To People With Misdemeanor Charges In D.C. Jail

April 10, 7:40 p.m.: Mayor Muriel Bowser is granting early release to a number of inmates currently incarcerated in the D.C. Jail.

Under the District’s COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act, Bowser will grant “good time credits” to the 36 remaining inmates who are in jail based on misdemeanor offenses. The move will make about half of those 36 remaining residents eligible for immediate release “pending no outstanding matters,” according to a release from the Mayor’s office.

The number of D.C. Jail inmates who have committed misdemeanor charges has declined significantly since March 17, when the emergency legislation passed. At the time, the jail housed 115 people on misdemeanor charges. But there are still a lot of people incarcerated at the facility: as of April 3, the jail’s total population was 1,534.

There have been 37 cases of coronavirus among residents in the D.C. Jail, along with 11 Department of Corrections staff cases. About 230 inmates and 190 staff are in quarantine due to possible exposure. A lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C. and the D.C. Public Defender Office over the coronavirus response from the Department of Corrections is pending. —Margaret Barthel

A Cotton(tail) Addition To Maryland’s Essential Workforce — No, It’s Not A Homemade Mask

March 10, 5:25 p.m.: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Friday that on Sunday, April 12, the state’s essential workforce would be getting an extra set of hands — or rather, paws.

Yes, there’s a proclamation and everything: the Easter Bunny has his hopping orders for Easter Sunday direct from Annapolis. “Maryland is pleased to designate the Easter Bunny an essential worker — who is allowed to roam the state bringing Easter happiness and joy to Marylanders of all ages,” the proclamation reads.

The move comes despite stay-at-home orders across the state, which forced the cancellation of the state’s annual Easter egg hunt. It was not immediately clear if Maryland officials have provided guidelines to the Easter Bunny on social distancing or sanitation practices, given the scope of his mission and the number of households he is expected to visit. It was also not immediately evident whether the Prophet Elijah has been afforded the same status during the celebration of Passover.

WAMU reached out to the Easter Bunny for comment. The response? An email that said “Hoppy Easter!” It smelled like spring flowers. Or maybe that was our seasonally-appropriate Zoom background. —Margaret Barthel

Northam Proposes Early Release For Some Virginia Prisoners

April 10, 4:20 p.m.: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is proposing to allow the Department of Corrections to release state prisoners with one year or less left on their sentences, as long as they have demonstrated good behavior and do not pose a risk to society. Northam wants to reduce the number of inmates in Virginia’s prisons to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

So far, 25 inmates and 22 correctional staff members have tested positive for coronavirus.

The emergency measure could apply to about 2,000 inmates, according to Brian Moran, the secretary of public Safety and Homeland Security.

Lawmakers will need to vote on this measure when the General Assembly reconvenes April 22, but the policy would then take effect immediately. Over the next two weeks, the DOC will begin planning for the prisoners’ release, Northam said.

“Re-entry planning typically happens over the course of months,” Northam said. “We’re asking our DOC to do that in a matter of weeks.” These preparations include making sure the prisoners have somewhere to go and can obtain any medication they need for three months.

This emergency measure could apply to about 2,000 inmates, according to Brian Moran, the secretary of public Safety and Homeland Security.

Also at his briefing today Northam announced the creation of a new task force to address the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

The announcement comes as the Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Facility in Richmond struggles with a deadly outbreak that has killed 39 residents and infected 84 others. Dr. Laurie Forlano, a deputy commissioner at Virginia’s Department of Health, will lead the task force. Its goals include making sure that Virginia’s senior care facilities have all the resources they need, such as testing, personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and adequate staffing.

“As we all know, testing and PPE in particular are a problem across the country,” Northam said, “She [Forlano] will make sure Virginia’s long-term care facilities continue to be a priority.”

Nursing homes around the country have seen some of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19, in part because residents live in such close proximity to one another.

As for the commonwealth as a whole, Northam said there are indications that social distancing measures aer working. But he cautioned Virginians to keep following his guidelines, especially this weekend when many will celebrate Easter and the weather is supposed to be warm.

“We’re in that period right now where we see hope, we see promise,” Northam said, “but this is not the time to back off from our guidelines. This is no time to let our guard down.” –Hannah Schuster

D.C. Court Says Marriage Licenses Will Be Available, But Only For ‘Emergency Matters’

April 10, 3:20 p.m.: Nothing will stop love. Except a pandemic, it seems.

Last month D.C. Superior Court closed down most of its operations — including the beloved marriage bureau, where couples could tie the knot or at least get their marriage license. Well, the court announced this week that marriage licenses will again be made available — though not for everyone.

According to an announcement from Zabrina Dempson, the clerk of the court, marriage licenses “will be issued for emergency matters only” — and only remotely. Emergency matters are not defined, but a court official tells WAMU that likely means only for purposes such as health insurance or an impending military deployment.

“We know there are real civil and legal rights that go along with marriage, and there are going to be couples who seek to get married,” said D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the council’s Judiciary Committee.

Allen said the Council may have to step in to create an alternate mechanism to issue marriage licenses to a broader range of couples, as it did during last year’s 35-day federal government shutdown – which also closed Superior Court.

“We’re also looking at whether we want to give the Secretary of the District the ability to issue marriage licenses, and that’s what we did during the shutdown,” he says.

For the time being, any couple needing a marriage license for “emergency matters” should call 202-879-1400 or email emergencycertifiedcopies@dcsc.gov. — Martin Austermuhle

At Least Nine Capitol Police Officers Have Tested Positive

April 10, 1:22 p.m.: Nine Capitol Police officers have tested positive for the coronavirus, Roll Call reports.

Many congressional staffers have transitioned to remote work, and many members of Congress are working from their home districts. Still, some members of the force remain on the Capitol campus.

Members of the Capitol Police force have been on high alert about exposure since last month, after several lawmakers and congressional staffers tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesperson for the Capitol Police told Roll Call that the police service is providing all officers with personal protective equipment and expanding telework options. Capitol Police is also offering hotel rooms for officers who are worried about the possibility of infecting high-risk people in their households.

The Capitol Police spokesperson told Roll Call that sworn personnel who have symptoms may receive priority testing, but acknowledged that testing is limited and decisions about testing are made by local health departments and not the Capitol Police.

Meanwhile, there is evidence that arrests are down in the area near the Capitol. The force’s weekly report shows no arrests were made between April 2 and 8. Weekly reports from January and February, for example, show 13 and 9 arrests, respectively. — Jenny Gathright

Maryland Government Could Lose $2.8 Billion By The End Of June

April 10, 1:05 p.m.: Maryland could lose $2.8 billion in revenue out of its current budget due to the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the worst-case scenario for fiscal year 2020, which ends June 30.

The loss is about 15% of the state’s annual general fund of $19.4 billion. Most of the projected drop is due to the loss of sales and income tax while many businesses remain shut down. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot and Bureau of Revenue Estimates Director Andy Schaufele said Friday they’ve never seen anything like this.

“The magnitude of the impact makes this no simple exercise,” Schaufele said. “The state’s fiscal leaders will need to find opportunities to balance the budget that have likely never been discussed before.”

Like D.C and Virginia, Maryland has been dealing with record-high unemployment claims since the middle of March. During the 2008-2009 recession, it took the state 38 weeks to accumulate 240,000 unemployment claims. During the current pandemic, it only took 3 weeks.

Franchot says he is hoping for another federal stimulus bill to help mitigate losses. He also says the state’s Board of Public Works should try to make cuts to balance the budget as soon as possible.

State lawmakers say it’s unclear what effect the revenue losses will have on longstanding education reform efforts and new school funding formulas. Earlier this year, the legislature also passed multiple pieces of legislation to raise revenue for education.

During a press conference Thursday, Governor Larry Hogan said he would not sign any legislation that raises taxes. Hogan said he expects the state’s $1.3 billion rainy day fund will be drained almost entirely to combat the pandemic.  –Dominique Maria Bonessi

Bowser Asks Park Service To Close Roads In Three Parks To Cars

This story was updated at 5:00 p.m.

April 10, 12:15 p.m.: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday she’s asked the National Park Service to close roads to cars in three federal parks in the city — Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park and Fort Dupont Park — to give pedestrians and cyclists more space to do outdoor activities while maintaining a safe distance from each other.

Bowser specified that she asked NPS to extend the current weekend closure of Beach Drive to cars to the weekdays, but did not detail exactly what roads in Anacostia or Fort Dupont she wants closed.

The request is a reversal of sorts for Bowser, who said earlier this week that she was not convinced by demands from some groups that D.C. close down streets to allow for people to walk and bike without being crowded close to each other. She said closing streets would only encourage people to use them, thus leading to crowding.

But Friday’s announcement follows moves in other cities and jurisdictions, including in Montgomery County, where more portions of Sligo Creek Parkway are being closed to cars on weekends to allow for exercise and proper social distancing.

The National Park Service told NBC4 in a statement that they will not immediately be closing roads, but that they will “monitor and evaluate visitation levels and NPS operations to adhere to CDC and local health guidance.” New information about the closure of parks or roads will be shared on the dedicated websites for each park.

Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park and Fort Dupont Park are all popular destinations in the city for weekend recreation. While D.C. is under a stay-at-home order, residents are allowed to leave their houses for exercise like walking and cycling — provided they stay at least six feet away from each other. — Martin Austermuhle

Known Cases Of Coronavirus Top 13,000 In The Washington Region

April 10, 10:39 a.m.: There are 13,137 known coronavirus cases in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, up almost 12 percent over yesterday.

In the District, there are 137 new cases, bringing the total to 1,660. That’s an uptick from yesterday, when the District reported 83 new cases. So far 38 people have died and 426 have recovered.

Virginia has 4,509 cases of the coronavirus, 467 of them new since yesterday. On Thursday, the Commonwealth reported 397 new cases. So far 121 people have died, up from 109 yesterday.

Maryland has shown the largest increase, with 6,968 reported cases, up 783 from yesterday’s count when there were 656 new cases. A total of 171 people have died, up from 138 on Thursday, and 397 people have been released from isolation. These comparatively high numbers may be due in part to the fact that the state has recently expanded testing efforts.  —Julie Strupp

More Stories from Thursday

• D.C. Jail Now Has 41 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
• Shoppers Must Wear Masks In Montgomery County, Starting Monday
• Millions In Emergency Funding To Go To Region’s Universities
• Drive-Up Testing Site To Open In Woodbridge, Va.
• MPD Limits Access To Headquarters
• Maryland Data Show African-Americans More Likely To Suffer From Coronavirus
• If You Go Grocery Shopping In D.C., You Now Have To Wear A Mask
• In Washington Region, Maryland Sees Highest Increase In Reported Coronavirus Cases

D.C. Jail Now Has 41 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

April 9, 9:17 p.m.: The D.C. Jail reported four additional COVID-19 cases late Thursday, bringing the total to 41 inside the jail.

The uptick comes a day after DCist reported that the jail had seen the number of infected inmates increase seven-fold since last week. Eight inmates have recovered, the jail noted in an email sent to staff Thursday.

The jail notes that the residents previously were quarantined at the Correctional Treatment Facility after a person in their unit tested positive for COVID-19. As of Wednesday, there were about 230 inmates are in quarantine due to possible exposure to coronavirus, which has begun to spread rapidly among the D.C.’s incarcerated population.

City officials have pointed out that the jail’s population has been reduced to better observe social distancing practices; that decrease, they say, can be attributed to new police guidelines to arrest fewer people. As of April 3, there were 1,534 inmates in the D.C. Jail facilities, down roughly 100 inmates from the end of March and nearly 200 from December 2019.

Still, as the D.C. Jail has seen the outbreak worsen among its residents, activists and inmates’ families have pushed the District’s Department of Corrections to release more prisoners and institute stronger hygiene practices. The ACLU of D.C. and the D.C. Public Defender Service have filed a class action lawsuit against the DOC for the alleged unsafe conditions inside the jail facilities. –Mary Tyler March

Shoppers Must Wear Masks In Montgomery County, Starting Monday

April 9, 7:15 p.m.: Anyone shopping at a grocery store, pharmacy or large chain store in Montgomery County will be required to wear a mask or face covering starting Monday, under a county health order released today. The order also includes new social distancing requirements for these essential businesses to protect customers and employees. This comes a day after the District announced similar restrictions.

In Montgomery County, stores will have to limit the number of shoppers in the establishment at one time. Any patrons waiting in line outside the story must be properly distanced. Stores must display signs reinforcing social distancing, and are encouraged to install see-through barriers between cashiers and customers, and to provide disinfectant wipes for customers to clean carts or baskets. The order emphasizes that medical masks, such as N95 masks, should be reserved for health care workers and that cloth face coverings are an acceptable alternative for shoppers.

Employees are not required to wear masks, but store management must allow them to do so. Employees must also be allowed to wash their hands at least once every half hour, and have access to soap and sanitizer.

Several grocery store employees in the region have already tested positive for coronavirus. One worker at a Giant in Largo, Md. died last week of COVID-19, and employees have tested positive at the Trader Joe’s on 14th St. NW in D.C., and at the Giant in Columbia Heights. — Jacob Fenston

Millions In Emergency Funding To Go To Region’s Universities

April 9, 7:30 p.m.: The federal government is releasing more than $6 billion in emergency funding immediately to colleges and universities around the country grappling with the financial reality of the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly $65.7 million will go to schools in the Washington region, meant to assist students scrambling to make ends meet in the wake of COVID-19.

According to the Department of Education, schools must use the emergency funds “to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, including things like course materials and technology as well as food, housing, health care, and childcare.”

Each school is allocated funds through a formula in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which figures in the number of full-time students at the school who are eligible for Pell Grants for low-income students, and also includes the school’s overall school enrollment, among other factors. The CARES Act authorized a total of nearly $14 billion for aid to universities and colleges nationwide.

The schools will sort out which students are eligible to receive the funding.

Here’s the regional breakdown of schools and the emergency funding they’re receiving:

American University: $3,157,009

Catholic University: $1,187,286

Gallaudet University: $821,498

George Mason University: $10,427,512

George Washington University: $4,559,265

Georgetown University: $3,055,322

Howard University: $4,361,622

Montgomery College: $5,497,875

Northern Virginia Community College: $10,014,352

Prince George’s Community College: $3,210,894

Trinity Washington University: $980,376

University of Maryland, College Park: $10,745,357

University of the District of Columbia: $1,804,763

University of Virginia: $5,858,355

American University holds the broadcast license to WAMU. —Carmel Delshad

Drive-Up Testing Site To Open In Woodbridge, Va.

April 9, 7:00 p.m.: A new site to get tested for COVID-19 will open in Woodbridge on Tuesday, with capacity to test about 50 people a day, and deliver results in two or three business days. 

According to the Prince William Times, the testing will take place at a Velocity Urgent Care clinic. The clinic closed two weeks ago, due to a drop in regular patient visits, and will reopen solely as a testing facility. Patients don’t need to make an appointment or bring a prescription. Tests cost $200, but all major insurance plans will be accepted..

Patients will wait in line in their cars, where they can fill out paperwork. Once called, patients will enter the clinic one at a time for testing.

Elsewhere in the region, a number of hospitals and other health care providers offer drive-up or drive-through testing, though many require a doctor’s referral. Here’s a list of where to get tested locally. — Jacob Fenston

MPD Limits Access To Headquarters

April 9, 5:29 p.m.: The Metropolitan Police Department says it will limit access to its headquarters at 300 Indiana Avenue NW to curb the spread of coronavirus. Effective immediately, only employees and members of the public who have confirmed appointments will be allowed inside.

“The current public health emergency is constantly evolving and requires MPD to limit exposure without interruption to the high level of service that is provided to the community,” a statement from the department says. “It is necessary that MPD maintains a healthy workforce so we may continue to provide police services across the District.”

The department has already taken a number of steps to reduce the risk of exposure for police officers, releasing guidelines stating that officers will ask to speak with complainants outdoors when making service calls, and requesting that citizens file police reports online or by phone and submit written statements via email. MPD has also suspended all meetings and events at department facilities.

MPD noted in its announcement that the changes in access for its headquarters are temporary, and that members of the public should refer to instructions on its website to make an appointment, rather than scheduling in person. The department also asked that anyone with flu-like symptoms or who is waiting on COVID-19 test results refrain from making an appointment. –Nathan Diller

Maryland Data Show African-Americans More Likely To Suffer From Coronavirus

April 9, 3:30 p.m.: Maryland joined the District and Virginia Thursday in releasing it’s racial breakdown of coronavirus cases, and, as in the neighboring jurisdictions, African-Americans in Maryland are disproportionately more likely to be stricken with the disease or to die from it.

As of Thursday morning, out of 5,259 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 2,064, or 39 percent, were African American, 1,540 were White, and 1,354 cases were of unknown race. The racial data, which did not specifically track Latinos, also accounted for 124 out of the 138 deaths in the state. African-Americans made up 44 percent of the deaths, with whites making up 31 percent. About 30 percent of Maryland’s 6 million residents are African-American.

“We were not surprised,” Prince Georges’ County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said about the data, “because it is not just a data point that black and brown and impoverished and poor people suffer disproportionately with health crises. It is a reality.”

This week Prince George’s County surpassed Montgomery County in confirmed COVID-19 cases and virus-related deaths, and Alsobrooks asked Governor Larry Hogan to make the county a priority for medical and financial resources.

According to data from the Prince George’s County Department of Health, of 35 deaths in the county, 13 were African-American, five were white, and the rest were unaccounted for in terms of race. Of the 325 people hospitalized in the county, 78 percent were black, 9 percent were Latino, 6 percent were white, and 7 percent were of some other race. African Americans make up about 65 percent of the county’s more than 900,000 residents. –Dominique Maria Bonessi

If You Go Grocery Shopping In D.C., You Now Have To Wear A Mask

April 9, 12:08 p.m.: Need some groceries? Get that face-covering ready before you go.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said today that anyone going to the grocery store from this point on will need to bring a mask or face covering with them.

The requirement is part of a new mayoral order released Wednesday that imposes new social distancing rules in farmers’ markets and grocery stores, including limits on how many people can enter at a time, a requirement that hand sanitizer or wipes be available at the entrance, and an encouragement that stores use means like one-way aisles to better control human traffic.

“We want folks to wear coverings,” she said at her daily press briefing. “A homemade covering, a scarf or other mask would be appropriate. I see a lot of people are already doing that. We want people to continue doing that to keep our workers safe.”

That requirement will be less strict for the workers at grocery stores, though. While the order does include new rules for grocers — they have to check employees for symptoms, and install plastic shields in checkout lines by April 20 — it says workers who interact with the public will only be provided with masks and gloves “if feasible.”

Bowser’s order comes as various grocery chains have already started taking some of those steps. Safeway has started installing plastic shields in checkout lines, while Giant and Harris Teeter said this week they will start limiting the number of people in stores and implementing one-way aisles.

Earlier this month a worker at the Giant in Columbia Heights tested positive for the coronavirus, and this week Trader Joe’s closed a number of stores nationwide — including one on 14th Street NW — for deep cleaning after employees tested positive.

As for farmers’ markets, Bowser said they would be closed until they presented a plan to city officials for how they would manage social distancing. For some, that could happen as early as this weekend, but others might remain closed for longer.— Martin Austermuhle

In Washington Region, Maryland Sees Highest Increase In Reported Coronavirus Cases

April 9, 11:03 a.m.: There are 11,750 known coronavirus cases in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Yesterday the region surpassed the 10,000 mark.

In D.C., there are 83 new cases, bringing the total to 1,523. That’s fewer new cases than yesterday, when the District reported 114 new cases. So far 32 people have died and 323 have recovered.

Virginia has 4,042 cases of the coronavirus, 397 of them new since yesterday. On Wednesday it reported 312 new cases. So far 109 people have died, up from 75 yesterday.

Maryland has shown the largest increase with 6,185 reported cases, up 656 from yesterday’s count. Yesterday it reported 326 new cases. A total of 138 people have died, up from 124 on Wednesday. —Julie Strupp

More Stories from Wednesday

• D.C. Farmers Markets No Longer Considered ‘Essential,’ Must Apply For Waivers
• ACLU Of Maryland Calls On Hogan To Release Inmates
• Trader Joe’s On 14th Street Closed Due To Positive COVID-19 Test
• 2008 Recession ‘Like A Picnic’ Compared To Coronavirus, Says Maryland Comptroller
• Virginia Postpones Elections To Prevent COVID-19 Spread
• D.C. Prepares To Use Its Convention Center For Additional Hospital Beds
• Capital Fringe Festival Cancels This Year’s Theater Showcase
• Shenandoah National Park Is Closed
• Known Cases Of Coronavirus In Region Surpasses 10,000

D.C. Farmers Markets No Longer Considered ‘Essential,’ Must Apply For Waivers

April 8, 7:50 p.m.: Farmers markets in D.C. will now have to apply for a waiver and outline a plan to keep customers safe if they want to continue operating. Markets will have to comply with new requirements, including banning pets, limiting the number of patrons, spacing out vendors, offering an order-ahead option, and only offering bagged items. Farmers markets can no longer sell non-food items (with the exception of soap, sanitizer, or masks.)

Farmers markets had been officially considered essential businesses, along with grocery stores, and the city’s coronavirus response website encouraged residents to use them. “Farmers markets are a great way to support local farmers in this period of economic uncertainty,” read the website. “Your support can help decrease the high demand currently placed on grocery store stocks.”

The change was ordered by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. In the same order, she also put in place new social distancing mandates for grocery stores. These include requiring shoppers to stay 6 feet away from each other and store employees, and making aisles one-way, if possible.

The mayor’s order also bans tennis and golf — removing them from the District’s “allowable recreational activities” list — but now allows for members of the same household to utilize “rooftop or courtyard spaces,” which had previously been prohibited. –Jacob Fenston

ACLU Of Maryland Calls On Hogan To Release Inmates

April 8, 5:40 p.m.: The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and other advocates are calling on Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to release inmates at local and state correctional institutions amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic at facilities across the state.

The ACLU of Maryland and advocates have sent a list of requests to Hogan, who late last week released information about what the state prison system is doing for those inmates and staff affected by COVID-19. Those requests include stopping new admissions to correctional units, releasing incarcerated people who can be safely released to their communities, releasing children from correctional institutions and improving the safety conditions in facilities.

Sonia Kumar, an attorney with the ACLU of Maryland, says while Hogan has been at the forefront of mitigating the spread of the virus, he hasn’t taken action to increase social distancing in detention facilities.

“It couldn’t be clear from a public health perspective and from a public safety standpoint that we have to significantly reduce the number of people in detention in order to battle the virus’s spread,” Kumar said. “We’ve already seen that a lack of any plan has led to unjustified detentions, unconscionable delays and a complete lack of preparedness.”

Earlier this week, Maryland’s Attorney General Brian Frosh wrote a letter to Hogan asking for swift action to address the spread of the virus in the prison system.

“As we all know, many challenges lie ahead, but I write now to urge you to act before it’s too late to prevent a catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19 in our prisons and jails,” Frosh wrote.

The state departments of corrections and juvenile services said in a statement that they’ve temporarily suspended intakes of new inmates and they’re making every effort to release inmates and juveniles with reentry services. — Dominique Maria Bonessi

Trader Joe’s On 14th Street Closed Due To Positive COVID-19 Test

April 8, 5:15 p.m.: With Kroger and Giant moving to limit the number of customers in their stores, Trader Joe’s is following suit at their 14th Street location and closing the store.

The closure, which was first reported by PopVille, is due to the need for an additional cleaning after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. That member was last present in the store on April 5, according to Trader Joe’s customer updates page.

The store has not posted an official reopening date. “Typically the store is closed for about 72 hours to make sure that the store has a deep cleaning,” said Kenya Friend-Daniel, the National Director for Public Relations at Trader Joe’s.

Other Trader Joe’s locations will remain open with limited hours as described on the store’s website.

“We will be open when we feel it is absolutely safe for crew members and customers,” Friend-Daniel said. –Julia Karron

2008 Recession ‘Like A Picnic’ Compared To Coronavirus, Says Maryland Comptroller

April 8, 4:49 p.m.: The region’s financial officers are weighing in on how the coronavirus is impacting budgets.

Maryland’s Comptroller Peter Franchot says state revenues are expected to drop by $3 billion to finish out the 2020 fiscal year in June. In early December, the state revenue board predicted a total of $18.2 billion in total revenue.

“The Great Recession will look like a picnic compared to what we’re entering right now,” Franchot said.

On Friday, the state revenue board is expected to release new revenue numbers for the 2020 fiscal year, Franchot says. They also expect revenue numbers in the next fiscal year starting July 1st to be lower than usual.

D.C.’s Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt says it took months to build up to the 2008 – 2009 recession. But this recession happened in the last 30 days. DeWitt says the District’s $9.3 billion budget is likely to decrease by almost $600 million dollars.

Last month, Virginia’s Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne predicted a $1 billion revenue loss from it’s $22.4 billion revenue fund. –Dominique Maria Bonessi

Virginia Postpones Elections To Prevent COVID-19 Spread

April 8, 3:58 p.m.: Virginia is postponing multiple spring elections and primaries due to the coronavirus.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that he is pushing Virginia’s June 9 congressional primaries to June 23.

Virginia is under a stay-at-home order until June 10. The state’s Republican Party had previously asked Northam to explain why he set the expiration date immediately after the election, when Republicans in Virginia were set to select a candidate to face incumbent Sen. Mark Warner (D) this November.

Northam also is recommending that Virginia postpone local and special elections typically held in May until November. The governor has authority to move the June primary, but moving the May elections requires action from the General Assembly, which is set to reconvene on April 22.

Northam said he has already been in talks with Virginia’s speaker of the house and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Under his plan, officials whose terms expire on June 30 would continue to serve until successors are elected in November.

“We have wrestled with our options, and none of them are ideal or perfect,” Northam said at his daily press briefing. “Elections are the foundation of democracy … but no one should have to choose between protecting their health or casting a ballot.”

The governor’s announcement comes the day after thousands of Wisconsin voters turned out for the state’s presidential primary.

On the local level, Arlington County Democrats announced Tuesday that they are transitioning the May school board caucus to exclusively vote-by-mail. There is no primary for school board seats because they are nonpartisan, but the Democratic Party holds a caucus to determine who will get its nomination.

All ballot requests must be received — not postmarked — by May 7. Completed ballots need to be returned by May 30. –Hannah Schuster

D.C. Prepares To Use Its Convention Center For Additional Hospital Beds

April 8, 2:35 p.m.: The District has identified the Washington Convention Center as a potential location for additional hospital beds, according to information shared on a call with D.C. Council members and mayoral staff.

City Administrator Rashad Young emphasized that the convention center likely would not be used for patients with the most severe cases of COVID-19. “It makes sense to have the more severe cases in the actual hospital,” said Young.

The majority of the locations for surge capacity in the city will be “within the four walls” of existing D.C. hospitals, or at locations near or close to existing hospital campuses, Young said. He added that the city is still evaluating about 39 locations for surge hospital capacity, in partnership with various hospitals.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently shared projections that say the city could require as many as 5,600 hospital beds when the number of coronavirus cases in the city reaches its peak. That is 3,600 more beds than are currently available.

In response to a council member’s question about a model from the University of Washington that predicts a less severe peak of cases in D.C., Young said the Bowser administration is reviewing all available models, but thinks preparing for the most critical potential scenario is in the city’s best interests.

“We don’t want to be underprepared for what could happen in terms of the number of hospitalizations and fatalities,” Young said. —Jenny Gathright

Capital Fringe Festival Cancels This Year’s Theater Showcase

April 8. 2:30 p.m. Organizers of the annual Capital Fringe Festival have cancelled this year’s event. The theater showcase was originally scheduled to take place in mid-July at theaters in Southwest D.C.

Even though the festival was still months away, founding director Julianne Brienza decided it would not be safe or feasible to rehearse performances or plan the festival’s dozens of events during the pandemic. This year’s festival would have marked the organization’s fifteenth year in the District.

More than 450 performers planned to participate in this year’s productions. “I regret that these stories will not be able to be told in our intimate theatre spaces in SW DC,” Brienza wrote in an email to supporters. Capital Fringe has refunded participation fees to all artists. —Mikaela Lefrak

Shenandoah National Park Is Now Closed

April 8, 1:30 p.m.: Shenandoah National Park, a popular hiking destination about an hour and fifteen minutes from D.C., is closing until further notice.

The Rappahannock Rapidan Health District of the Virginia Department of Health asked the National Park Service to fully close the park.

Shenandoah had closed some popular hikes to discourage crowds and maintain six feet of social distancing.

Virginia State Highways 211 and 33 will remain accessible to pass through, NPS says.

Shenandoah National Park limited hours and cut off vehicle traffic to some areas on Saturday. Park officials also closed picnic areas, bathrooms and more trails.

NPS recommended using their digital presence to “visit” the park, including webcams and videos. —Jordan Pascale

Known Cases Of Coronavirus In Region Surpasses 10,000

This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. 

April 8, 10:03 a.m.: D.C., Maryland and Virginia have reported more than 10,000 total cases of COVID-19. Officials warn that the D.C. area could be the next hotspot for coronavirus, and according to local authorities, the number of cases continues to rise.

Maryland leads the region in cases of coronavirus, with 5,529 cases total, and 326 of them new as of this morning. While 288 Marylanders have recovered, 103 people have died.

In Virginia, there are 312 new cases, bringing the total to 3,645. Seventy-five people have died in Virginia.

In the District, there are 1,440 cases, 114 of them new. The city has actually revised the death toll downwards, saying 22 people have died and 318 have recovered. —A.C. Valdez

Stories from Tuesday

• Giant Food Will Limit Number Of Customers In Stores
• Cal Ripken Raises Money For Families Hurt By Pandemic
• Maryland Launches Rumor-Control Site
• Federal Government Designates Baltimore-Washington Corridor As Hot Spot In Coronavirus Pandemic
• Kennedy Center Reaches Deal With National Symphony Orchestra Musicians
• Number Of Known Coronavirus Cases In Region Nears 9,000
• Rep. Norton Calls On Feds To Close Jefferson And Lincoln Memorials
• D.C. Unions Demand Aggressive Testing For Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19

Giant Food Will Limit Number Of Customers In Stores

April 7, 8:32 p.m.: Kroger and Giant Food announced Tuesday that they will begin to limit the number of customers in their stores to allow for social distancing measures. The move comes after weeks of requests made by grocery workers to cap how many people are in the store at once. [Read the full story here]

Kroger, the parent company of Harris Teeter and Giant Food, says by the end of the week it will cut the occupancy of Harris Teeter to half, and Giant Food to 20%.

Giant Food will also implement one-way aisle traffic next week. Arrow markers on the floor will designate traffic direction through the aisles and associates will be available to point customers in the correct directions. These measures come as the companies’ workers have been requesting paid child care, access to testing and personal protective gear to wear during their shifts. –Dominique Maria Bonessi.

Cal Ripken Raises Money For Families Hurt By Pandemic

April 7, 6:19 p.m.: Cal Ripken Jr. has launched a campaign to raise money to feed those who are going without because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Baltimore Orioles legend, who carefully guards his privacy, said he joined Twitter to promote the effort. He appeared in a video on that account Tuesday to encourage people to help him fund meals for children and families and said his foundation was contributing the initial $100,000.

Ripken, famed for playing a record 2,632 consecutive games, retired in 2001.

“For years our foundation, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, has helped kids in need across the country through our after-school programs and the building of parks to provide safe places for them to play and learn,” he said in the video. “We have decided to temporarily shift the focus of the foundation to address the more pressing needs of the families we impact who are struggling with food insecurity.”

The foundation is partnering with other non-profits, including Feed America and food banks across Maryland. —Lauren Markoe

Maryland Launches Rumor-Control Site

April 7, 4:45 p.m.: Maryland launched a website Tuesday to help citizens identify and control the spread of COVID-19 rumors.

The page aims to debunk false rumors about the virus and supplant them with factual information. For instance, the website points to a rumor that the deployment of the Maryland National Guard in Baltimore means that martial law is imminent. The page explains that the mission of the National Guard is not to enforce the law, but to assist with the distribution of food and medical supplies across the state.

Jorge E. Castillo, a spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, said the rumor-control site was needed to address “false information that could unnecessarily cause panic or worse.”

He also appealed to Marylanders for assistance in identifying rumors. “If you see something, say something,” he said, pointing to the Submit a Rumor button on the right side of the page.

The web page is a joint effort of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland Department of Information Technology. —Victoria Chamberlin

Federal Government Designates Baltimore-Washington Corridor As Hot Spot In Coronavirus Pandemic

April 7, 3:45 p.m.: The federal government has designated the Baltimore-Washington Corridor and 12 jurisdictions in Maryland as a coronavirus hot spot, which will allow additional federal resources for the region.

“The corridor is home to the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, Fort Detrick, critical health agencies which are on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said.

Hogan added that the region is home to several facilities like Fort Meade, the National Security Agency, and the U.S. Cyber Command, which are critical for national security.

Hogan also continued to ratchet up measures to maintain social distancing. He announced an additional order that gives local health departments and law enforcement agencies the authority to modify or shut down businesses, including construction sites, that violate his previous executive orders.

“There are reports of a few businesses that are failing to comply with the law and who are potentially putting their customers and their staff at risk,” Hogan said. Violators can be fined $5,000, face one year in prison, or both. –Dominique Maria Bonessi

Kennedy Center Reaches Deal With National Symphony Orchestra Musicians

April 7, 11:45 a.m.: The Kennedy Center reached a deal with the National Symphony Orchestra Tuesday, after 96 musicians were furloughed late last month. In a press release, the center announced the players agreed to a pay cut worth more than $2.5 million.

The musicians also agreed to a wage freeze for the 2020-21 season, and delayed pay increases through the end of their contracts, which now extend through September 2024. The total contract changes come to about $4 million in savings, according to the release.

“The severe economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have unfolded at an incredibly rapid pace, requiring all of us to work together and demanding the highest levels of strategic and creative thinking to solve our problems in the long-term,” the center’s president, Deborah Rutter, said. “We are grateful to the musicians of the NSO for partnering with us and that, together, we have found a way forward.”

The NSO’s union, the D.C. Federation of Musicians, released a statement on Tuesday encouraging the Kennedy Center to also re-hire the orchestra’s furloughed staff, “as a matter of fairness and so that our venture can flourish. We need their talents to help start new musical projects to present to our patrons and the larger world.”

The announcement comes after the institution faced criticism for furloughing 250 full-time staff members and 700 part-time and hourly workers even after it received $25 million in stimulus funds from Congress last week. The center, which has canceled performances through at least May 10, defended its decision, saying the cuts were necessary and that even with the aid, it would run out of money by July.

The Kennedy Center also said it will continue to provide full healthcare benefits for all furloughed employees.

Lawyers for the D.C. Federation of Musicians filed a grievance in response to the furloughs, and sent a letter to the Kennedy Center saying that by not paying the musicians after this week, it had violated their right to collective bargaining and that they should have given more notice. — Nathan Diller

Number Of Known Coronavirus Cases In Region Nears 9,000

April 7, 11:22 a.m.: The District reported 114 new cases of residents tested positive for COVID-19, Maryland reported 326 new cases, and Virginia has 455 new cases, according to new numbers released Tuesday. There are a total of almost 9,000 cases in the region and more than 150 people have died.

Meanwhile, the District amended its case numbers released April 4. One patient reported to have died on March 29 was a Maryland resident. The District’s number of fatalities from coronavirus now stands at 22, Maryland has seen 103 deaths, and Virginia’s total is 63.

Local officials are bracing for the Washington region to be a next ground zero in the fight against coronavirus as they see jumps in the numbers. This comes after Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, warned over the weekend that the D.C. region could be the next hot spot.—Kavitha Cardoza

Rep. Norton Calls On Feds To Close Jefferson And Lincoln Memorials

April 7, 9:52 a.m.: D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is asking the National Park Service’s head to close the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials to the public during the coronavirus outbreak. This comes after reports that people were crowded around the memorials over the weekend.

“Federal agencies must do their part to flatten the curve,” Norton said in an April 7 letter to NPS Acting Director David Vela.

Norton says crowding in these spaces makes social distancing “difficult if not impossible” and that closure would protect both the public and NPS employees such as park police officers. “It is my understanding that the force is so small that a handful of officers getting sick could interfere with its ability to carry out its responsibilities,” her letter says.

Norton has asked for a reply in five days.  —Kavitha Cardoza

D.C. Unions Demand Aggressive Testing For Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19

April 7, 8:13 a.m.: Several D.C. unions are calling for “an aggressive approach to testing now” for healthcare workers who have been exposed to COVID-19.

In a letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser dated April 6, a coalition of unions representing nurses, police, firefighters, teachers, food workers and others asks for all healthcare workers exposed to the virus to be tested regularly, regardless of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19. They also want a 14-day paid precautionary sick leave/quarantine for employees exposed to the disease.

The petitioners say they are concerned about “a tremendous strain on D.C. hospitals” if doctors and nurses contract the disease and can’t take care of patients, as is happening in other parts of the U.S. “If an inordinate number of clinicians become ill in the District, it will result in a tremendous strain on D.C. hospitals to deliver care during this crisis,” the letter reads.

WUSA9 received a response from the D.C. Department of Health, saying, “it is not recommended for HCPs [healthcare professionals] who are asymptomatic to be tested regardless of exposure–however, home quarantine is recommended for HCPs with medium or high risk exposure.” —Kavitha Cardoza

Stories from Monday

• DC Public Schools To Distribute Tablets For K-8 Students
• Four More Deaths At Carroll County Nursing Home
• Arlington County Manager Expects Sharp Drop In Revenue
• Virginia Delegates Will Meet In Person, But Outside
• Virginia Finds Sources For PPE, But Says More Still Needed
• World Central Kitchen Will Cook At Nats Park, Deliver Meals
• D.C. Will Have To Cut $600 Million From Current Budget
• Black Residents Make Up Majority Of Coronavirus Deaths In D.C.

DC Public Schools To Distribute Tablets For K-8 Students

April 6, 8:30 p.m.: DC Public Schools will now give out tablets and other devices to students in grades K-8 so they can continue schooling from home during the coronavirus outbreak. The system previously distributed tablets to students in grades 9-12. Students began distance learning in late March.

The school system is giving out up to 16,000 devices to District families who don’t have a device at home and is distributing up to 10,000 hotspots to families without internet access.

“As we continue working together to flatten the curve, we are focused on distributing the tools and resources that support teaching and learning and help our students and educators stay connected,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a release.

Schools will be reaching out to families to distribute the devices, according to the city. —Carmel Delshad

Four More Deaths At Carroll County Nursing Home

April 6, 7:40 p.m.: Carroll County officials are reporting an additional four deaths at the Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy, bringing the total of coronavirus-related deaths at the facility to 14. Health officials say 79 of the nursing home’s 95 current residents tested positive for COVID-19, as well as 31 staff.

“The Carroll County Health Department will continue to work with the county’s long-term care facilities to increase their preparedness and response capacities for COVID-19, including the adoption of a series of enhanced protective measures as by defined Gov. Hogan’s executive order” a county press release said.

Twelve residents and two staffers at the Carroll Lutheran Village, another nursing home in the county, are also reporting coronavirus cases. One resident there has died.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued an emergency order on Sunday, requiring staff at nursing home facilities to wear protective equipment and to separate infected patients in an effort to blunt the state’s growing number of coronavirus cases. The governor’s office says 81 nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state are now reporting cases of the virus. — Carmel Delshad

Arlington County Manager Expects Sharp Drop In Revenue

April 6, 7:07 p.m.: Arlington County says it is expecting a $56 million drop in anticipated revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier today, County Manager Mark Schwartz presented a revised budget for 2021 that would slash $34 million in revenue from the county and $21.6 million from Arlington Public Schools.

Overall revenues are expected to dip from $1.396 billion to $1.34 billion.

In a statement, Schwartz said the reductions were “unthinkable two months ago.”

“Businesses have laid off staff, residents have lost jobs, schools have closed and only the most essential functions continue,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz’s new proposed budget removes salary increases and scuttles new spending that had been previously proposed. That included an additional $27 million in revenue that was slated for county schools. Arlington Public Schools will receive a total of $524.6 million from the county.

The new budget proposal also delays the opening of the Lubber Run Community Center and the Long Bridge Park Fitness & Aquatics Center until 2022.

In his memo to the Arlington County Board, Schwartz attributes the sharp drop in revenue to taxes sensitive to changes in the economy, including the meals and sales tax.

The Arlington County Board is expected to vote on the amended budget Thursday, April 30. A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23. –Zuri Berry

Virginia Delegates Will Meet In Person, But Outside

April 6, 6:30 p.m.: Members of Virginia’s House of Delegates have agreed to reconvene on April 22, but lawmakers will meet outside to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, according to a spokesman for House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn.

“It is the Speaker’s preference, out of deep concern for the health and safety of membership, staff, and the public that the session be outdoors, with a contingency option for an inside location,” wrote spokesman for Filler-Corn Jake Rubenstein in an email to WAMU.

The meeting would be an exception to Virginia’s emergency order that bans gatherings of more than 10 people.

The reconvened session is a chance for lawmakers to veto changes made to bills they passed in a landmark two-month session that ended in early March. However, this year they will also grapple with the avalanche of changes wrought by the coronavirus, including mass layoffs that led to record unemployment claims and shattered the calculations for the state budget.

Given the amount of work to do, delegates said they were willing to meet in Richmond.

Del. Elizabeth Guzman (D-Woodbridge) wrote, “There are so many decisions to make particularly pertaining to education and these requirements require legislative action. Our school systems are looking for guidance and we must not delay.”

A spokesman for Fairfax Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax) agreed, writing, “We have urgent needs in Virginia, and he’s going to do whatever it takes to help out, including going to Richmond.” —Daniella Cheslow

Virginia Finds Sources For PPE, But Says More Still Needed

April 4, 3:40 p.m.: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the state signed a $27 million contract with an in-state manufacturer and sourced an additional shipment of personal protective equipment from Asia, which will arrive next week. The announcement is a sign the state is making headway in the global scramble for gear to battle the coronavirus.

But Public Safety Secretary Brian Moran said he still expects “a tremendous need” for medical supplies, including masks, gloves and gowns, so he anticipated having to buy still more PPE in the future, as new cases continue to be reported.

As of Monday, 2,878 people in Virginia have tested positive for COVID-19, an increase of 241 new cases over the last day. Three more people died, bringing the state’s total to 54.

Northam said work would begin within days on three temporary field hospitals, including one at Dulles Expo Center. He said his government had begun shipping 56,000 Meals Ready to Eat to food banks. He said the state has already shipped hand sanitizer and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile to hospitals in the region.

Although Virginia health officials say they are still unable to conduct widespread testing, Northam noted that Sentara Healthcare, which runs a hospital in Woodbridge, among others, had developed abilities to process COVID-19 tests in-house, which should speed up processing.

The governor urged Virginians to cover their faces in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus; however, neither he nor any of the officials speaking to reporters used a mask. Asked by a reporter why he did not cover his face, Northam said he would wear a mask when he left the building. —Daniella Cheslow

World Central Kitchen Will Cook At Nats Park, Deliver Meals

April 6, 3:15 p.m.: World Central Kitchen and the Washington Nationals are partnering to open a community kitchen at Nationals Park, the team announced Monday.

WCK, the global charity run by chef José Andrés, is setting up in several kitchen areas at the stadium, according to a release. Nationals Philanthropies, the team’s charity program, will distribute meals to public housing residents in Navy Yard, The Wharf, and Fort Dupont, where the team’s Youth Baseball Academy is located. Meals will be distributed at various sites in those neighborhoods, according to a spokesperson for the Nationals.

The kitchen will begin preparing and distributing meals on Tuesday and expects to be producing tens of thousands of meals each day. The Nationals would not say how much all this is going to cost.

The new kitchen is the second local effort from Andrés in response to COVID-19. Last month the chef announced that five of his D.C.-area restaurants would close, and he would convert them into community kitchens offering “affordable plates of the day” from the back or side door. WCK is also delivering meals to hospitals, seniors, and other vulnerable communities around the country.

“There’s gonna be systems that break because people are gonna get sick, and we’re here to cover the blind spots of the system,” Andrés said Saturday in a video posted to Twitter. —Lori McCue

D.C. Will Have To Cut $600 Million From Current Budget

April 6, 1:00 p.m.: D.C. officials say the sudden shutdown of the city’s economy due to the coronavirus pandemic will force them to cut $607 million from the current year’s $9 billion budget — and the same amount may have to be trimmed from next year’s budget as well.

The cuts are prompted by a significant drop in D.C.’s usual revenue streams, notably sales tax from the hospitality industry and income tax from residents who have lost their jobs since last month.

“Just like residents and businesses are making tough choices, the District will make tough choices too,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference today.

Bowser also announced that the city will freeze hiring, salary increases and travel.

Neither Bowser nor Council Chairman Phil Mendelson outlined what might be on the chopping block, but they did say the amount being cut will be significant — roughly equivalent to the annual budget for Fire and Emergency Medical Services, or half of what the city spends on public education.

They also said the blow would be cushioned by the fact that D.C.’s budget has grown dramatically in recent years, largely because of the booming local economy. That means the cuts would bring D.C.’s budget to 2017 spending levels.

Still, these cuts will be the first time in years that Bowser and lawmakers will be looking at paring back spending. And it’s likely to continue into next year’s budget, which D.C. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt said would also be $600 million less than originally planned.

“I don’t see it getting better than $600 million,” he said, adding that a revenue estimate expected later this month could mean the necessary cuts get worse.

“Everyone should assume the budget will be much leaner. It’s hard to think of where we’ll find funding for new programs,” Mendelson said of the 2021 budget, which Bowser is expected to submit to the Council in early May.

D.C. officials said years of economic growth and responsible financial management have left the city in a better position to respond to the economic downturn, which DeWitt said has been “deeper and faster” than the 2008 recession. But the Council is expected to authorize DeWitt to borrow up to $500 million, a step he says may be necessary to address the city’s cash flow later in the summer if the economic shutdown continues. — Martin Austermuhle

Black Residents Make Up Majority Of Coronavirus Deaths In D.C.

April 6, 11:50 a.m.: More than twice as many black residents of D.C. have tested positive for COVID-19 than white residents, according to newly released data from the District. Black residents also make up the majority of the District’s deaths from the illness.

There have been 1,097 positive cases in D.C. Black residents represent about 28% of that total, with 303 confirmed cases. White residents make up 135 cases or about 12% of the District’s total. About 9% of those who tested positive were Hispanic or Latinx.

Another group, classified as “unknown,” represents about 32% of the District’s cases. About 19% were not asked about their racial identity. Less than 1% of those who tested positive refused to answer a question about their racial or ethnic identity.

The District also reported two additional deaths attributed to COVID-19, including a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old woman. There have been 24 deaths attributed to the virus in the District. Fourteen of those deaths were black residents.

Virginia also reported the racial breakdown of COVID-19 cases. Of the commonwealth’s 2,878 confirmed cases, about 26% have been white residents — almost double that of black residents, who represent 13.5% of confirmed cases.

There have been 54 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Virginia and the commonwealth’s health department reports 497 hospitalizations.

On Monday, Maryland reported a sharp uptick in confirmed cases and deaths. There are now more than 4,045 confirmed cases in the state — an increase of 436 over the day prior — and 91 deaths.

The state’s health department reported a total of 1,059 hospitalizations, an increase of more than 123 over the day prior. — Zuri Berry

For more on how coronavirus has impacted the D.C. region, see these updates from the week of March 30-April 5.