April 26, 2:35 p.m.: Maryland’s BEACON unemployment insurance application portal was taken offline Sunday due to technical issues, but should be back up later this afternoon, the state says.

We expect to have the application back up early this afternoon. All progress in your application should be retained. When you log into the application again, you may need to cycle through the question pages to return to your place. We apologize for the inconvenience.

— MD Department of Labor (@MD_Labor) April 26, 2020

When the application launched on Friday, the system was overwhelmed and plagued by unexpected technical difficulties. By 5:15 p.m., more than 44,000 accounts were activated with over 19,000 new claims being processed. 

At a Friday afternoon press conference, Governor Larry Hogan expressed frustration that the portal was not ready for the volume of applications. “I’m sorry people had difficulties with that. It is now fixed,” said Hogan. — Matt Blitz

More Stories from Sunday

• Hogan Touts Flattening The Curve, Criticizes President’s Remarks About Ingesting Disinfectant
• Coronavirus Cases In D.C., Maryland And Virginia Top 35,000
• Eastern Market Staff Member Tests Positive for COVID-19, Closes Sunday
• Children With Coronavirus May Be At Greater Risk of Hospitalization, Children’s National Data Shows

  

Hogan Touts Flattening The Curve, Criticizes President’s Remarks About Ingesting Disinfectant

April 26, 12:48 p.m.: On Sunday morning, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan did a mini-national press tour appearing on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He commented on the region’s efforts to flatten the curve, making the June 2 primary into one mostly “by mail,” and President Trump’s thoughts on ingesting disinfectant.

On “Face the Nation”, Hogan touted his administration’s decisions to “take some of the earliest and most aggressive actions in America.” He says it’s had an immense impact on not just the state’s overall numbers starting to flatten, but the region’s as well. Hogan did temper the positive news: hospitalizations and ICU bed use are starting to flatten, but deaths and infections are still going up.

Overall, confirmed COVID-19 cases are up about 46 percent regionally from last week.

Both programs asked for Hogan’s thoughts on President Trump’s recent musings about ingesting disinfectants as a way to kill the coronavirus.

Hogan said the state received “hundreds of calls” into the health department’s emergency hotline inquiring about the safety of ingesting Clorox and other cleaning products in fighting the coronavirus. This prompted Maryland, as well as every other local jurisdiction, to issue a warning against doing this.

“I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message,” Hogan said on ABC. On CBS, he further criticized the President by saying, “It’s always critically important for a leader to put out the facts.. I’ve raised concerns multiple times… these conflicting messages.”

Hogan also talked about making the delayed-June 2nd presidential primary a mostly “by mail” primary, disagreeing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s comments about states declaring bankruptcy, and how the state of Maryland secured a half a million tests from South Korea. “It could save thousands of lives,” said Hogan.

Hogan has not responded to frequent invitations to be interviewed by WAMU. — Matt Blitz

Coronavirus Cases In D.C., Maryland And Virginia Top 35,000

April 26, 11:15 a.m.: New data released Sunday by D.C., Maryland and Virginia show the region’s tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 35,392. That’s an increase of about 46% from the week before.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the area is now 1,453, an increase of about 69% from a week ago.

The District on Sunday reported 13 deaths and 142 new cases from the day before. Fatalities among city residents now total 178, with 3,841 total cases. The city’s highest numbers of cases are in Wards 4, 7 and 5. Citywide deaths are disproportionately high among African-Americans; 80% of deaths in D.C. are among black residents, while the city’s black population is roughly 46%.

Maryland reported 815 new cases in the past 24 hours, increasing its total cases to 18,581. Deaths now total 827, with 30 additional deaths announced this morning. Prince George’s County has seen the highest number of cases, 4,987.

Virginia announced 604 new cases, bringing its statewide total to 12,970. Twelve additional deaths were announced, bringing the state total to 448. Fairfax and Prince William counties have the highest concentration of cases, accounting for 32% of the state’s cases. — Eliza Berkon

Eastern Market Staff Member Tests Positive for COVID-19, Closes Sunday

April 26, 2:02 p.m.: The Eastern Market Farmers Market and Merchant Hall are closed today after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, Eastern Market announced on its website.

All areas are getting a deep clean, officials said. The notice also said that “those potentially exposed have been notified and will take the appropriate action per DC Health guidance.”

The farmers market plans on re-opening on Tuesday. They are normally closed on Mondays.

In a letter provided to all vendors, the D.C. Department of General Services stated that the individual was “last present at your work location sometime between April 24 and April 25.” The individual won’t return to work until medically cleared, the letter says.

The letter told vendors and merchants that “per current DC Health guidance, you do not need to be tested or undergo voluntary quarantine based on this possible exposure.”

We’ve reached out to the Eastern Market for further details, but have yet to hear back.

On April 8, a mayoral order removed farmers markets from the list of “essential businesses” able to operate in D.C. during the COVID-19 outbreak. Instead, farmers markets needed to apply for a waiver detailing plans to keep customers safe. According to the order, the plan needs to include a limit on the number of persons in the market, a prohibition on pets, grab and go purchasing only, creation of a phone or online pre-order system, no selling of crafts or non-edible plants, and the placement of all products behind a barrier.

Eastern Market was one of those farmers markets that applied for and was granted a waiver by the city. — Matt Blitz

This post has been updated with information from a letter from the D.C. Department of General Services.

Children With Coronavirus May Be At Greater Risk of Hospitalization, Children’s National Data Shows

April 26, 10:15 a.m.: Children’s National Hospital said it saw 105 young patients with the virus (newborn to age 25) between March 15 and April 22. Of that group, 27% needed hospitalization, including several needing critical care. No children at the hospital have died from the virus.

Patients aged 65 and over, especially those with underlying conditions, are generally considered more at risk of severe complications from the virus than are younger populations. About one-third of adults with the virus were hospitalized, according to a CDC study released earlier this month of coronavirus from across the U.S. That contrasts with about a fifth of children with the virus who were hospitalized.

“It’s nothing like the burden on the elderly adults, we’re not saying that,” Roberta DeBiasi, the hospital’s infectious diseases division chief, told The Washington Post. “But it’s clear that it’s not slowing down. We’re having more and more cases, and we’ve steadily had admissions each day, both to the critical care and the noncritical care.”

Infants and children over 15 are more likely to get hospitalized than other children, DeBiasi said. Children with underlying conditions are also more likely to be hospitalized than those with no underlying conditions, she said. Seventy percent of those who were hospitalized at Children’s National had an underlying condition. — Eliza Berkon

More Stories from Saturday

• Court Orders St. Elizabeths To Isolate Patients Exposed To Coronavirus
• West Virginia Officials Raise Concern About Plan To Transfer D.C. Inmates
• D.C., Maryland And Virginia See 72% Increase In Coronavirus Deaths In Past Week

Court Orders St. Elizabeths To Isolate Patients Exposed To Coronavirus

April 25, 1:31 p.m.: A federal court has ordered the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health to individually isolate patients who have been exposed to coronavirus at St. Elizabeths Hospital rather than a group quarantine.

The city’s only public psychiatric hospital, which houses more than 200 patients, has had one of the most severe outbreaks in District facilities. According to court documents, seven patients and two staff members have died of COVID-19-related complications (those statistics differ from official data reported online), and more than 100 patients and staff have been infected.

The court order was filed in response to a lawsuit against the department, which alleges the hospital hasn’t been doing enough to prevent patients from contracting the virus.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss’s opinion states that the facility’s policy of quarantining all patients suspected of exposure together is “contrary to accepted professional standards.” The court also ordered more thorough clinical evaluation of patients before they’re removed from isolation and twice-weekly reports on patients’ conditions. — Elliot Williams

West Virginia Officials Raise Concern About Plan To Transfer D.C. Inmates

April 25, 1:31 p.m.: The Bureau of Prisons is set to transfer hundreds of inmates from the District’s jail system to the Hazelton Federal Correctional Center in West Virginia amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the state’s governor and the union representing corrections officers there have raised concerns, and they are calling on the federal agency to stop the transfer.

One D.C. Jail inmate and one correctional officer have died, and inmates and the union representing D.C. correctional officers have both filed lawsuits alleging unsafe conditions. More than 100 inmates in the custody of D.C.’s Department of Corrections have tested positive and more than 800 have been quarantined.

Officials at Hazelton—which has had zero confirmed cases of COVID-19—are worried that transferring inmates from D.C. could start infecting their population of 4,000 inmates.

“If you have institutions that are clean—that don’t have cases—we need to do everything we can not to infect them,” Richard Heldreth, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 420, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice echoed that argument in a statement, calling the planned transfer of D.C. inmates “unwise and unnecessary.” —Dominique Maria Bonessi

D.C., Maryland And Virginia See 72% Increase In Coronavirus Deaths In Past Week

April 25, 11:56 a.m. (updated 3:15 p.m.): D.C., Maryland, and Virginia have seen a total of 1,394 fatalities related to COVID-19, an increase of about 72% since last Saturday and 9% from yesterday.

Across the three states, the total number of confirmed coronavirus infections reached 33,801 this morning—up 46% since last week. Over the same period, Virginia saw the largest increase in new cases at 54%, while Maryland registered a 44% rise in infections and D.C. saw a 39% increase.

Maryland reported 74 fatalities on Saturday, the state’s deadliest day so far. In total, it has seen 797 confirmed fatalities and another 78 “probable” deaths awaiting confirmation from a lab. Maryland marked a total of 17,766 cases Saturday, with the highest number of cases in Prince George’s County.

D.C. reported another 12 fatalities on Saturday, for a total of 165 lives lost to the virus, an 81% increase from a week ago. The District has had 3,699 total known infections. While Ward 4 has seen the highest number of cases in the city with 17% of the total, Ward 8 has seen the most deaths, with 22% of the total.

In Virginia, there are 12,336 total known cases of COVID-19, an increase of 54% from last week. There have been another 26 deaths related to the virus—a total of 436 known fatalities—in the commonwealth, up 69% from last week and 6% since yesterday. Fairfax County has seen the most hospitalizations, followed by Prince William, Arlington, and Henrico counties. —Dominique Maria Bonessi

More Stories from Friday

• Montgomery County Paying Taxi Companies To Deliver Food To Vulnerable Residents
• New D.C. Site Will Sterilize Thousands Of N95 Masks For Front-Line Workers
• D.C.’s Online Unemployment Form Can Now Accept Filings From Gig Workers
• Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Delays May Elections By Two Weeks
• D.C. Is Facing More Than $700 Million In Budget Cuts Due To Coronavirus Crisis
• After Trump Comments, Maryland Received More Than 100 Hotline Calls About Ingesting Disinfectant
• Infection And Fatality Rates Dip In D.C., Maryland, And Virginia

Montgomery County Paying Taxi Companies To Deliver Food To Vulnerable Residents

April 24, 7:56 p.m.: Montgomery County is expanding its Call-n-Ride program to deliver food and supplies to low-income seniors and people with disabilities, according to an announcement from the county’s Department of Transportation. The Essential Delivery Service is expected to be available until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program already contracts with area taxi companies to provide subsidized rides anywhere in the county. Now, county residents will also be able to request grocery delivery services, or pick-ups of items from food banks and restaurants. Delivery will be contactless, with taxi drivers wearing face coverings.

“Allowing funds to be used for delivery helps our most vulnerable residents stay home and stay safe, while providing much-needed work for our local taxicab drivers,” said Chris Conklin, the director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

Each trip in the must be pre-approved by the Call-n-Ride program office. Participants in the program can call participating taxi companies directly, or the Call-n-Ride office for that approval and to schedule rides. Everyone who wants to use Call-n-Ride for delivery services must have a valid Call-n-Ride card.

According to the announcement, taxi companies in Montgomery County may choose to provide food delivery services to the general public as well, but those trips won’t be reimbursed by the county. — Margaret Barthel

New D.C. Site Will Sterilize Thousands Of N95 Masks For Front-Line Workers

April 24, 6:35 p.m.: As hospitals and front-line workers continue to grapple with a shortage of critical medical supplies, the D.C. region has received new technology that can sterilize protective equipment—like the in-demand N95 masks—so it can be reused numerous times.

N-95 masks are single-use masks, but health workers across the country have been reusing them to try to preserve supply.

The technology comes from an Ohio-based biotech company called Battelle. The system is expected to go online Monday, according the D.C. Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration. WJLA reports that D.C. has proved Battelle space in a Northeast D.C. warehouse. Hospitals, nursing homes, and first responder agencies in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia can ship in their used masks to be sterilized.

Battelle received FDA authorization last month to begin rapid manufacturing of its “critical care decontamination systems.” Each one can each disinfect up to 80,000 masks per day. Battelle is able to provide this service free of charge, after signing a $415 million contract with the Department of Defense to deploy these systems in 60 locations.

The process works by placing masks inside an air-locked chamber. Teams then inject the chamber with vapor phase hydrogen peroxide. As the gas circulates in the chamber, it decontaminates the mask.

In addition to the D.C. region, Batelle has shipped cleaning systems to Seattle, Long Island, Boston and Chicago.

And Battelle is not the only company to develop sterilization technology. Over the past few weeks, the FDA has issued emergency clearance for several other systems. Locally, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems started a pilot program to sterilize masks which can process more than 12,000 per day. –Hannah Schuster

More Stories from Friday

• D.C.’s Online Unemployment Form Can Now Accept Filings From Gig Workers
• Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Delays May Elections By Two Weeks
• D.C. Is Facing More Than $700 Million In Budget Cuts Due To Coronavirus Crisis
• After Trump Comments, Maryland Received More Than 100 Hotline Calls About Ingesting Disinfectant
• Infection And Fatality Rates Dip In D.C., Maryland, And Virginia

D.C.’s Online Unemployment Form Can Now Accept Filings From Gig Workers

April 24, 4:40 p.m.: The District’s online unemployment form has been modified to allow self-employed or 1099 employees to file for temporary benefits, D.C. officials announced on Twitter.

The federal CARES Act sets up the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which expands eligibility for weekly unemployment benefits to gig workers, self-employed workers, part-timers, clergy, claimants who have exhausted traditional unemployment benefits, and people without the work history typically needed to get benefits. Workers will be able to collect $600 in federal money per week, in addition to any benefits already paid out by local governments.

According to the D.C. Department of Employment Services, 75,184 new unemployment claims were filed between March 13 and April 23. The spike in filings has overwhelmed local government agencies, causing long wait times and confusion for people trying to get benefits.

In response to the news of the modification of the online portal, several District residents tweeted their questions — and their frustration with the process. “This is beyond confusing,” one wrote.

More information about qualifying for unemployment is here. –Margaret Barthel

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Delays May Elections By Two Weeks

April 24, 4:20 p.m. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said Friday he was issuing an executive order that would move local elections from May 5 to May 19.

“Virginians should not have to choose between their ballot and their health,” Northam said in explaining his order.

Two weeks is the maximum delay Northam can impose without needing approval of the General Assembly, which is now in recess. Earlier this week the State Senate rejected Northam’s proposal to delay the elections until November.

The governor urged Virginians to vote by absentee ballot, and added that there will need to be adequate personal protective equipment at all polling sites across the state for those who vote in person.

Northam also outlined his plans for easing restrictions on businesses. Phase one of the state’s reopening will begin only when the number of positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates have decreased for 14 days, and when the state has reached a testing capacity of 10,000 tests per day. Northam said Virginia has tested 4,000 people per day in the past two days, but he said he could not predict how quickly the state will be able to reach all the necessary benchmarks. As of today, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Virginia totaled 11,594.

As the state looks to phase one of reopening, Northam has enlisted a group of small- and large-business owners and community leaders to develop a plan that includes social distancing measures for businesses. The group includes religious organizations, entertainment venues, and restaurants. — Colleen Grablick 

D.C. Is Facing More Than $700 Million In Budget Cuts Due To Coronavirus Crisis

April 24, 2:57 p.m.: D.C. is facing an unprecedented economic downturn with $721 million in cuts in its current $9 billion budget, a larger impact than previous projections of around $600 million in cuts. The District will need to trim next year’s budget by an additional $773 million.

The city has lost 56% of sales tax revenue mainly from the hospitality industry closures, about 18% of all D.C. revenue, and 93,000 jobs may be lost by July.

In a press conference with Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt presented a District’s budget and revenue forecast hugely affected by the coronavirus crisis. DeWitt’s model predicts a slow economic recovery—D.C. will not see January 2020 levels of revenue before the end of 2021, DeWitt said.

The District’s gross domestic product will be reduced to -3.8%, a number DeWitt called unprecedented and larger than the city saw during the economic recession following the housing crisis in 2008. Prior to the pandemic, wages were projected to increase 4%. That number is now revised to -2% in 2020 and isn’t expected to recover until the end of 2021.

“We are looking at a two year recovery to get back to January 2020 levels,” said Dewitt. Assuming some businesses will be able to open this summer, and recovery will really begin back in the fall, D.C. won’t be back to a “new normal” until spring/summer of 2021.

The financial hits are largely driven by sales tax drops from hotels, restaurants and parking. Grocery and online purchasing is up, but not up enough to offset the cost of hospitality-related retail. —Victoria Chamberlin

After Trump Comments, Maryland Received More Than 100 Hotline Calls About Ingesting Disinfectant

April 24, 1:50 p.m.: A day after President Trump touted some unconventional coronavirus protection measures, Maryland’s Emergency Management Agency received over 100 calls from residents regarding disinfectant products being used on the body.

MDMEMA tweeted this morning, “This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.” In response, Governor Larry Hogan’s communications officer tweeted that “we decided to take this step of posting this alert after receiving over 100 calls to our hotline.”

In his briefing Thursday night, President Trump questioned whether the disinfectants like bleach and other cleaning products that can kill the coronavirus on surfaces could be used on people.

“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump said at the briefing. “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.”

Now medical professionals, local emergency response offices, and cleaning supply companies are issuing statements rejecting Trump’s suggestions and warning people to not ingest disinfectants like bleach. Lysol, the popular cleaning supply brand issued a statement shortly after Trump’s suggestions saying that under no circumstances should their products be “administered into the human body.” Trump’s suggestions also drew a response from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, and some mockery from D.C. council members.

According to a White House pool reporter, Trump said this morning that his statements on ingesting poisonous cleaners were sarcastic. Trump says he was “asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen.” —Colleen Grablick

Infection And Fatality Rates Dip In D.C., Maryland, And Virginia

April 24, 11:19 a.m.: The coronavirus death toll in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia reached 1,286 people this morning, up 8% from yesterday. There are 31,738 total known cases of COVID-19 in the three jurisdictions, a 5.5% uptick from Thursday. Both the infection and fatality rates are down from double-digit increases earlier this week.

Today D.C. reported another 14 fatalities, up 10% from yesterday, for a total of 153 lives lost to the virus. The District has 3,528 total known infections, a 5% increase from yesterday. So far 651 people have recovered. Wards 4 and 7 have seen the most cases, and the virus continues to disproportionately harm black residents, who make up 81% of the deaths but only 46% of the city’s residents.

Maryland reported 723 total deaths, up 43 from yesterday’s report. That’s a 6.3% increase from yesterday, down from double-digit increases at the beginning of the week, though there are an additional 75 probable deaths. The state reported 16,616 total known infections, up 5.6% from Thursday, and 1,108 people have been released from isolation. Prince George’s County continues to be the hardest hit, followed by Montgomery and Baltimore counties.

In Virginia, there are 11,594 total known cases of COVID-19, an increase of 5% from Thursday. There have been another 38 deaths related to the virus—a total of 410 known fatalities—in the commonwealth, up 10% from yesterday. Fairfax County has seen the most cases, followed by Prince William, Henrico, and Loudoun counties. —Julie Strupp

More Stories from Thursday

• Montgomery County Approves Temporary Caps On Rent Increases 
• Top IT Official In Fairfax County Schools Resigns After System Bungles Distance Learning
• One Million Pounds Of Food To Go To Hardest Hit Parts Of Maryland
• D.C. Candidates Raise Concerns Over Plan To Conduct June 2 Primary By Mail
• Bowser Sets Up Committee To Plan Reopening D.C., But Sets No Date For When It Could Happen
• Area Leaders Urge Trump Administration To Extend Telework
• Virginia Courts Ordered Closed Through Mid-May
• Infections In D.C., Maryland And Virginia Top 30,000
• Number Of People Seeking Unemployment Benefits Continues Surging Upwards

Montgomery County Approves Temporary Caps On Rent Increases

April 23, 5:07 p.m.: Leaders in Montgomery County have unanimously passed a temporary cap on rent increases during Maryland’s pandemic-induced state of emergency.

Under the COVID-19 Renter Relief Act, landlords can raise rent during the pandemic, but increases are capped at 2.6%, the county’s recommended maximum rent increase for 2020. (The county’s rent guidelines are usually optional; this bill makes them mandatory during the emergency).

Rent increase limits would remain in effect until 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted.

The original version of the bill, introduced by Council member Will Jawando (D-At Large), eliminated all rent increases until 30 days after Maryland’s state of emergency ends. But a majority of the council supported an amendment from Council member Tom Hucker (D-District 5) that allowed limited increases and increased the rent-cap period.

“[People facing rent increases] should be able to sleep a little easier,” Hucker said during Thursday’s vote.

D.C. lawmakers approved a citywide freeze on rent increases during the pandemic earlier this month. —Ally Schweitzer

Top IT Official In Fairfax County Schools Resigns After System Bungles Distance Learning

April 23, 4:20 p.m.: A longtime technology employee of Virginia’s largest school system stepped down Wednesday after the district bungled its rollout of distance learning.

Maribeth Luftglass resigned from her position as assistant superintendent of IT in Fairfax County Public Schools, according to an email Superintendent Scott Brabrand sent to IT staff. She had worked in the 189,000-student school system for nearly 21 years.

Brabrand said her departure was “effective immediately.” Marty Smith, the system’s chief operating officer, will manage IT operations until an interim replacement is named, the email said.

The school system has come under intense scrutiny for several failures as it transitioned to distance learning.

Virtual instruction began nearly two weeks ago, but sessions initially lacked security measures. Anonymous users logged on to classes using any name, posting and sharing inappropriate and offensive material, according to the school system.

Also, many students have not been able to log onto Blackboard, an online learning platform the school system has used for two decades. The problems prompted Fairfax schools to cut distance learning short last week.

School system officials said they are working to solve the issues, but problems persisted this week.

In an email to families sent Monday night, Brabrand said the school district has enlisted the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP to conduct an outside review of the school system’s distance learning rollout. Fairfax schools are also transitioning away from using Blackboard for face-to-face, virtual instruction.

“This is frustrating and disappointing for everyone,” Brabrand said. “We recognize that our students and teachers need a reliable system for virtual learning.” –Debbie Truong

One Million Pounds Of Food To Go To Hardest Hit Parts Of Maryland

April 23, 3:07 p.m.: Maryland’s Department of Human Services will distribute 1 million pounds of food to food banks, pantries and other programs in areas of the state hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The department announced Thursday that the amount of food assistance will be based on unemployment claims. Currently, 18 out of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions are approved for the program because they’ve had more than 2,000 unemployment claims. The areas now eligible are Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties, as well as Baltimore City.

“Like the rest of the nation, Maryland has seen an unprecedented surge in unemployment insurance claims following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus,” said Lourdes Padilla, director of MDHS, in a statement. “The continued support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has proved critical to our department’s efforts to serve vulnerable Marylanders during this especially difficult time.”

Yesterday, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced a donation of $1.2 million to the Capital Area Food Bank to support the county’s 47,000 unemployed residents. The money came from Dan Snyder, owner of Washington’s football team; Bank of America; the county’s chapter of The Links Inc., a volunteer service organization; and the county council. —Dominique Maria Bonessi.

 D.C. Candidates Raise Concerns Over Plan To Conduct June 2 Primary By Mail

April 23, 1:40 p.m.: Three candidates for the D.C. Council are raising alarm bells over how the Board of Elections plans to broadly encourage residents to request absentee ballots ahead of the June 2 primary, especially since city officials say they’d like to conduct as much of the election by mail as possible.

“Because the primary is now less than six weeks away — and early voting and the deadlines to register, change parties, or request an absentee ballot are approaching even more quickly — we are deeply concerned that serious questions remain unanswered about the Board’s plans,” Janeese Lewis George, Jordan Grossman and Ed Lazere wrote in a letter sent to the board on Wednesday. George is running in Ward 4, Grossman in Ward 2 and Lazere for an At-Large seat.

“Failure to educate voters about alternatives to in-person election day voting will present D.C. voters with an untenable choice — surrender their right to vote or risk serious health consequences,” they said.

Board officials say they plan to launch an advertising campaign to inform voters about requesting an absentee ballot. They have also said that a voter guide is being sent to every household in the city, and will include two paper applications for absentee ballots.

But there have been a number of hiccups so far. The board’s app, which can be used to request an absentee ballot, does not work consistently on Android phones. And many voters have reported not getting any confirmation emails after they requested their ballot. The board says that unless a voter gets an error message, their request will be properly processed. So far, more than 17,000 requests for absentee ballots for the June 2 primary have been received.

Unlike D.C., in Maryland the State Board of Elections will proactively send every registered voter a ballot for their June 2 primary. —Martin Austermuhle

 Bowser Sets Up Committee To Plan Reopening D.C., But Sets No Date For When It Could Happen

April 23, 12:15 p.m.: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday that she’s creating a committee to lay out “when and how we reopen,” but declined to predict when city officials might start lifting the stay-at-home order or allowing businesses to reopen.

And like Gov. Larry Hogan, who has also said he plans on laying out guidelines for when Maryland could start returning to normal, Bowser said any changes in D.C. will happen slowly.

“I don’t think that we’re going to have a light switch and everything goes back to normal,” she said at her daily press conference. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want our kids to go to school and people to go to restaurants. Everyone wants to get open, but we don’t want to lose the gains we have made and we want to make it sustainable.”

Bowser said she agrees with the broad principles that have been laid out by the White House on when cities and states can start reopening: a decline in case counts over a two-week period, an increase in capacity for testing and contact tracing, and enough beds in hospitals and other medical facilities to handle any possible surge in cases.

Beyond planning for how to reopen D.C., Bowser said she wants the committee — which will be divided into 12 working groups — to look at how the city can address disparities and inequities that have been laid bare by the pandemic, from access to health to jobs.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just reopen our city, but to build a more equitable D.C.,” she said.

D.C.’s stay-at-home order is currently in place until May 15, but could be extended beyond that. The University of Washington’s IHME coronavirus model, which has been used by the White House to predict when cases will peak nationwide, was recently updated to include an estimated date that social distancing rules could be relaxed: June 4. —Martin Austermuhle

 Area Leaders Urge Trump Administration To Extend Telework

April 23, 12:00 p.m.: Leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are urging the Trump administration to let federal workers continue to work from home during the pandemic.

In a letter dated April 23, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan asked the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management to “continue to implement broader telework policies,” saying an extended work-from-home policy will “help save lives.”

Roughly 360,000 federal workers live in the Washington region. D.C., Maryland and Virginia remain under stay-at-home orders.

“We hope the federal telework posture is reflective of our own local operating status,” the leaders wrote.

In guidelines released last week, the Trump administration advised employers to “encourage telework whenever possible” even if their states have begun the process of reopening business operations. —Ally Schweitzer 

 Virginia Courts Ordered Closed Through Mid-May

April 23, 11:24 a.m.: Courts in Virginia will remain closed until at least May 17th after the state’s supreme court renewed a statewide judicial emergency on Wednesday.

As a result, tenants facing eviction in the commonwealth will get a reprieve for an additional three weeks, unless their local court deems their evictions proceedings “essential.” Evictions have also been suspended in D.C. and Virginia during the health crisis.

The judicial order signed by Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons allows district and circuit courts to hear non-emergency matters electronically “using a secure communication platform such as Polycom or WebEx, or by telephone.”

It also provides flexibility for defendants facing jail time during the health crisis, saying courts shall “consider the potential health risks” of COVID-19 and weigh “any appropriate alternatives” to incarceration. —Ally Schweitzer

Infections In D.C., Maryland And Virginia Top 30,000

April 23, 11:15 a.m.: A total of 1,191 people have died from COVID-19 in D.C., Maryland and Virginia while cases in the three jurisdictions have reached 30,096. The death rate is up 7.6% from yesterday, continuing this week’s downward trend, and the infection rate is up 6.5%, a slight uptick from the past few days.

Virginia reported another 23 deaths this morning—an increase of 6.6% from yesterday but continuing the slowing trend this week—bringing the total to 372 victims. There are now 10,998 total infections in the commonwealth, up 7% from yesterday. That rate has held steady for the past few days. The county with the highest number of cases continues to be Fairfax, followed by Prince William, Henrico and Loudoun counties.

Maryland reported 962 new positive cases and another 49 deaths. The state has seen a total of 15,737 positive tests, up 6.5% from yesterday, and 680 deaths, up 8% from Wednesday. There are an additional 68 probable deaths that have not yet been confirmed. One positive benchmark: the number of recorded recoveries has passed 1,000 people. Prince George’s County continues to see the most cases, followed by Montgomery and Baltimore counties.

In D.C., another 12 people have died—marking about a 9% increase from yesterday—with 139 fatalities overall. The District has reported 3,361 total confirmed cases, an increase of 4.8% from Wednesday. So far, 648 people have recovered. The virus continues to disproportionately harm black people: 81 percent of the people who have died from COVID-19 are African American, though they comprise only about 46% of the city’s residents. —Julie Strupp

Number Of People Seeking Unemployment Benefits Continues Surging Upwards

April 23, 9:03 a.m.: New data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that some 4.4 million additional people filed for unemployment benefits across the U.S. last week, adding to the more than 22 million laid-off workers who have been seeking assistance since the pandemic started in mid-March.

The number of new filings for unemployment benefits includes almost 140,000 additional claims in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, which like most of the country are seeing historic demand for assistance and have all exceeded their total claims from all of 2019. The new data does show that the torrent of claims seems to be slowing, though.

And after weeks of complaints about delays in filing claims and receiving unemployment benefits, all the jurisdictions in the Washington region say they have started paying the $600 in additional benefits included in the federal recovery bill. They are also now starting to accept claims from independent contractors and gig workers who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for unemployment benefits.

Regional leaders say they have made progress in slowing transmission of the coronavirus, but have also said it is too early to start lifting stay-at-home orders or reopening businesses. They expect to scale back on restrictions once new positive case counts decline for 14 consecutive days. —Martin Austermuhle

More Stories from Wednesday

• Republican State Senators Sue Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam On Behalf Of Gold’s Gym Franchises 
• D.C. Repurposes Shuttles To Offer Late-Night Rides For Health Workers
• Virginia Lawmakers Delay Minimum Wage Increase
• Laurel Medical Center Reopens In Maryland
  
• Cafeteria Worker At United Medical Center Dies From COVID-19
• D.C.-Area Representatives Ask Congress For Funding To Keep Union Station Afloat
  
• D.C. To Open Second Public COVID-19 Testing Site Thursday
  
• Maryland And D.C. Report More Deaths, Virginia Numbers Delayed
• Two D.C. Circulator Office Workers Test Positive For The Coronavirus

Republican State Senators Sue Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam On Behalf Of Gold’s Gym Franchises

April 22, 9:33 p.m.: Two Republican state senators in Virginia have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ralph Northam on behalf of a group of Gold’s Gym franchises in the state.

State Senators William M. Murphy Jr. of Franklin and Ryan T. McDougle of Hanover are representing the gym owners in the lawsuit, which asks for temporary injunctive relief to allow the gyms to reopen.

The lawsuit alleges that Northam did not have the constitutional authority to close the businesses in the first place. It also claims that if the gyms in question cannot reopen before Northam’s order closing nonessential businesses expires on May 8, they will be forced to permanently close.

“This petition is the last chance of Petitioners to forestall certain and complete ruin, and its injurious effects upon not just the owners, but thousands of employees and customers,” the suit said.

The lawsuit also claims that although the Northam administration may “theorize there is vague potential for the additional transmission of disease if Petitioners re-open, there is no evidence this will occur, and Petitioners have protocols to prevent it.”

A spokesperson for Northam told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the office does not comment on ongoing litigation, and “the governor will continue to base his decisions in science, public health, and the safety of all Virginians.”

Gyms are on the list of businesses that can reopen in the first phase of the Trump administration’s plan for reopening businesses and schools. “if they adhere to strict physical distancing and sanitation protocols.” The administration also recommends that states have a downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases and positive COVID-19 tests before they start to execute the reopening plan. It also gives governors discretion to interpret the plan themselves. There were 10,266 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Virginia as of Wednesday, an increase of 636 over Tuesday. The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia more than doubled over the course of last week. —Jenny Gathright

D.C. Repurposes Shuttles To Offer Late-Night Rides For Health Workers

April 22, 5:30 p.m.: The D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles is converting its D.C. Neighborhood Connect service to bring late-night on-demand transportation to health workers at Howard University Hospital and United Medical Center. Rides will cost $3 per person, and the service will be available across D.C., Prince George’s County, and parts of Montgomery County.

Previously, the shuttles provided on-demand rides to residents of Wards 4, 5 and 8 through the D.C. Neighborhood Connect app. Now, the 11 vehicles — large vans — will be available to transport up to three health care workers per van, between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. daily. Workers can request service through the app.

The shift is the product of the Department’s collaboration with ride-hailing company Via and D.C. Neighborhood Connect operator Transco.

“We are excited about the expansion of this transportation option with Via to serve those who are providing essential medical services and care to District residents,” Department of For-Hire Vehicles Director David Do said in a press release.

Public transportation options are significantly scaled back as a result of the pandemic. Metrorail service currently stops at 9 p.m. daily, and bus service cuts off at 11 p.m.

Some transportation companies are trying to fill the void for essential workers. Uber is donating 10 million free rides to health care workers, seniors, and others in need globally. Lyft is offering free scooter rides, and it’s also working with some hospitals, including the University of Maryland Medical Center, to help employees commute. E-bike company Helbiz is offering free 30-minute rides to essential workers, and scooter operator Lime is also offering free rides to essential workers. –Margaret Barthel

Virginia Lawmakers Delay Minimum Wage Increase

April 22, 3:50 p.m.: The Virginia General Assembly has narrowly approved Gov. Ralph Northam’s plan to delay increasing the minimum wage in light of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on Virginia’s economy.

The first incremental increase in the minimum wage will now occur in May instead of January 2021. Virginia’s minimum wage, which is now $7.25 an hour, will still rise to $12 an hour by 2023.

In the Senate the vote was a tie, 20-20, but Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax broke the tie in favor of the governor’s plan. In both chambers, the vote was largely along party lines, with Democrats backing the governor.

Delaying the wage increase is one of many issues lawmakers are tackling today as they undertake an unusual reconvened session in Richmond. To allow for social distancing, the House of Delegates is meeting in a large tent outside the General Assembly, and the Senate is gathered at the Science Museum of Virginia. Everyone is wearing masks and sitting six feet apart.

The focus of the session is to revisit the state’s budget. About a month ago, the new Democratic majority approved an ambitious $135 billion budget for the next two years. It included items like a freeze on in-state college tuition and a raise for teachers and other public employees. But as the pandemic upends Virginia’s economy, Northam has proposed putting a pause on all new spending. —Hannah Schuster

Ankith Deekollu, of Columbus, Ohio, installs equipment in a room at UM Laurel Medical Center in Laurel, Md., Friday, April 17, 2020. The hospital reopened to treat coronavirus patients.

Laurel Medical Center Reopens In Maryland

April 22, 3:50 p.m.: The Laurel Medical Center in Maryland reopened today with 135 beds to treat patients infected with the coronavirus.

The reopening of the third and fourth floors of the medical center comes a few weeks after Governor Larry Hogan called for hospitals throughout the state to ramp up their capacity to more than 6,000 beds. As of Wednesday, the state is using 1,400 beds to treat COVID-19 positive patients, according to data from the state’s department of health.

“We are now on track to exceed our hospital surge beds,” Hogan said. “With a total of 6,700 beds in the coming weeks.”

The center is one of two locations outside of existing hospitals where patients can get treated for the virus. The other location is the Baltimore Convention Center which was converted into a 250-bed field hospital to treat patients. The Laurel Medical Center will be staffed with 400 health care workers contracted by University of Maryland Capital Region Health, Hogan said.

Prince George’s County is the hardest-hit jurisdiction in the state with 3,875 confirmed cases and 152 deaths as of today, according to the county’s health department. —Dominique Maria Bonessi

Cafeteria Worker At United Medical Center Dies From COVID-19

April 22, 3:30 p.m.: D.C. officials confirmed on Wednesday that a cafeteria worker at the United Medical Center in Southeast died on April 12 from COVID-19. The woman, who was not identified by name, was sent home after appearing sick a week before she died.

“We are saddened by the loss of one of our teammates,” said a statement from the hospital, which is operated by the city. “At UMC we are following all protocols, including contact tracing, to keep our patients, staff, and community safe. COVID-19 testing is underway onsite both internally and externally, and we are gearing up for an expected surge of cases.”

The hospital. which is the site of one of D.C.’s two public testing locations, is in Ward 8, where the number of deaths from COVID-19 has spiked in recent days. As of Wednesday, there had been 127 such deaths citywide, with close to a quarter of them in Ward 8.

United Medical Center has reportedly faced a shortage of personal protective equipment, much like health care facilities in other parts of the country. —Martin Austermuhle

More Stories from Wednesday

• D.C.-Area Representatives Ask Congress For Funding To Keep Union Station Afloat
  
• D.C. To Open Second Public COVID-19 Testing Site Thursday
  
• Maryland And D.C. Report More Deaths, Virginia Numbers Delayed
• Two D.C. Circulator Office Workers Test Positive For The Coronavirus

D.C.-Area Representatives Ask Congress For Funding To Keep Union Station Afloat

April 22, 1:55 p.m.: Eight federal lawmakers from the D.C. region are asking Congress to set aside $26 million “to ensure the continued operations of Union Station.” They made the request in a joint letter to the leaders of the powerful House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

Although Union Station is still open during the day to provide essential transportation services, including Amtrak and bus lines, the station has seen severe declines in ridership and revenue over the last month because of local shutdown orders. On April 7, for instance, the Union Station Metro stop — usually the busiest stop in the Metro system — saw only 969 trips, a 97% drop from the 30,860 trips recorded a year earlier.

The station itself is owned by the federal government and is the second-busiest station in the U.S., serving over 42 million people a year. Since April 3, it’s been closed to visitors overnight, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The $26 million ask is based on the six-month average cost to operate and maintain the over century-old station, which is managed by a public-private partnership and generates revenue from restaurants, shops, and parking. The restaurants and shops are currently closed and the parking facility is barely being used.

“While we all hope that the coronavirus crisis is over long before six months, the reality is that the crisis could continue for a long time,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “As early as next month, Union Station could experience a revenue shortfall that would impede the operations and maintenance of the station, negatively impacting passenger services well beyond the end of this crisis.”

The letter’s signatories include D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Maryland Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Anthony Brown, John Sarbanes, David Trone, and Jamie Raskin, and Virginia Reps. Don Beyer and Jennifer Wexton. All are Democrats. Under their proposal, the Federal Railroad Administration would provide the funding to the Union Station Redevelopment Corp., the entity that oversees the historic station. — Andrew Giambrone

D.C. To Open Second Public COVID-19 Testing Site Thursday

April 22, 12:30 p.m.: The District will open a second public testing site for coronavirus tomorrow, officials said today.

The site will offer free COVID-19 tests by appointment and will be located at UDC’s Bertrie Backus campus at 5171 South Dakota Ave. NE. This site will allow asymptomatic patients to be tested, but high-risk patients will be given priority, according to the city.

Tests will be available there on Tuesdays and Thursdays for walk-ups and drive-throughs, and residents can make appointments by calling 1-855-363-0333.

Another public testing site is already open at the United Medical Center, in Southeast, where appointments are also required. Testing is currently taking place there on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Patients visiting this site must be symptomatic and present valid District IDs, per officials.

The city says results are typically available within three to five days of testing. Additional testing sites provided by the George Washington University Medical System, the Children’s National Health System, and Kaiser Permanente, among others, are also open. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, sore throats, shortness of breath, and body aches and chills. — Andrew Giambrone

Maryland And D.C. Report More Deaths, Virginia Numbers Delayed

April 22, 11:33 a.m.: Maryland and D.C. reported more coronavirus-related deaths, but a slumping infection rate this morning. The Virginia Department of Health website does not yet have updated numbers, due to a problem with its computer systems.

“The process which compiles COVID case information overnight experienced an error that caused complete case information to be unavailable this morning. VDH staff are working to resolve the issue, and updated information will be posted as soon as possible,” Virginia Department of Health spokesperson Maria Reppas wrote in an email. We will update this report when the numbers are available.

Maryland reported 582 new positive tests and another 47 deaths. The state has seen a total of 14,775 cases of the virus, up about 4% from yesterday, and 631 deaths, up 8% from Tuesday. So far 981 people have been released from isolation.

In D.C., another 15 people have died—marking about a 13 percent increase from yesterday—with 127 fatalities overall. The infection rate continues to sink. The District has reported 3,206 total confirmed cases, an increase of 3.5% from Tuesday. So far 645 people have recovered. —Julie Strupp

More Stories from Wednesday

• Two D.C. Circulator Office Workers Test Positive For The Coronavirus

Two D.C. Circulator Office Workers Test Positive For The Coronavirus

April 22, 9:58 a.m.: Two D.C. Circulator employees have tested positive for COVID-19, WUSA9 first reported. Both of the affected workers are supervisors in the main office and did not have contact with passengers, according to a Circulator spokesperson. However, at least one bus operator says she’s concerned for her colleagues’ safety.

D.C. Circulator operator Joyce Boone told WUSA9 she doesn’t think Rapt Dev, the contractor that operates and maintains the D.C. Circulator, is doing enough to ensure that buildings and buses are clean. She says drivers are still entering the main building every day, and is worried that social distancing guidelines are not being strictly followed. The Circulator spokesperson told WUSA 9 that buses are being cleaned using “proper protocols.”

The Circulator bus service is currently operating on a reduced schedule. The District suspended fares on all routes in March, and requested passengers enter buses through the rear door and only use the service for essential trips. —Kavitha Cardoza

Virginia Does Not Expect To Need Three Planned Field Hospitals, Northam’s Office Says

April 21, 9:30 p.m.: Virginia has paused plans to build three large field hospitals, the Associated Press reported. A spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam says that existing hospitals will likely have enough capacity to handle COVID-19 patients in the short term. Still, the spokesperson added that “all options remain on the table” and the field hospitals could still be constructed if Virginia ends up needing them later.

Construction on the planned “alternative care sites” in Richmond, Hampton and Fairfax County had yet to begin, according to the AP. Designs had been approved through a collaboration between the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state officials.

The Virginia Hospitals Association reports that as of Tuesday, 1,331 people in the state are hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 or pending test results for the virus. Hospitals in the state have 5,465 beds available and are currently using 22% of the ventilators they have on hand. —Jenny Gathright

More Stories from Tuesday

• D.C. Will Begin Notifying Microgrant Recipients At The End Of April
• Racine And 22 Attorneys General Ask Government To Halt Proposal That Would Cut SNAP Benefits
• D.C. Pushes School Lottery Enrollment Deadline To June
• Maryland Reports Its Deadliest Day, While Overall Infection Rates Drop
• Fairfax County Public Schools Drops Distance Learning Platform, Investigates Rollout

D.C. Will Begin Notifying Microgrant Recipients At The End Of April

April 21, 5:40 p.m.: Applicants for D.C.’s Small Business Recovery Microgrants will get an update on their status at the end of this month, according to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The office provided an update during a small business telephone town hall on Tuesday.

“We are working as quickly as we can to review those applications, to evaluate them,” Acting Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said. “We’ve made a commitment to get that closed out this month, and we’ll make sure we make those awards this month.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser previously announced that her administration, along with the D.C. Council, would commit $25 million to distribute grants to small businesses, including independent contractors, self-employed people and non-profit organizations. The money is meant to help cover employee wages and benefits, inventory, rent and other expenses as the coronavirus outbreak continues to affect businesses’ bottom lines.

But only a fraction of the more than 7,600 applicants may receive funding. Washington City Paper reported Tuesday that an estimated 2,000 applicants will receive the microgrants. Roughly 1,600 were eliminated because they now qualify for CARES Act unemployment benefits. According to the publication, each microgrant could run between around $10,000 and $25,000. —Nathan Diller

Racine And 22 Attorneys General Ask Government To Halt Proposal That Would Cut SNAP Benefits

April 21, 2:35 p.m.: D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine and New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition today urging the Trump administration to halt rulemaking that would take food assistance away from millions of people during the pandemic, his office said in a press release Tuesday. The rule would affect an estimated 8,100 people in D.C.

Twenty two attorneys general and New York City’s chief legal officer sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture, asking the department not to finalize the rule, which would cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for recipients. The rule would make it more difficult for people to qualify for the program.

The coalition said the proposed change would get rid of a policy allowing states to make low-income families automatically eligible for SNAP if they already qualify for other types of assistance.

“Millions of Americans … will go hungry if USDA finalizes this SNAP rule,” Racine said in the release. “Protecting access to food stamp benefits is crucial at a time when millions of people are suffering from job losses and hundreds of thousands are battling coronavirus.”

The coalition argued that the rule change would impede the response to COVID-19 nationwide, and place an additional burden on local governments’ administrative systems, many of which are already scrambling to respond to the pandemic. The USDA did not immediately respond to DCist’s request for comment on the letter. —Nathan Diller

D.C. Pushes School Lottery Enrollment Deadline To June

April 21, 12:30 p.m.: The My School D.C. lottery announced Tuesday that the enrollment deadline has been extended until June 15. In a bulletin posted online, The My School D.C. team said the enrollment process had been adjusted to minimize the number of people who need to enroll in person due to coronavirus concerns.

This is the second time the lottery has pushed the deadline back, previously moving it from May 1 until May 27. The date change comes as D.C. schools are working to adapt their operations and schedules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced late last week that D.C. Public Schools will continue to operate remotely for the rest of the academic year, and end classes on May 29, three weeks earlier than scheduled. The Mayor said charter schools will likely end classes around that same time, too.

In the bulletin, My School D.C. said schools will contact applicants who have been matched with a school directly about how to enroll, and that enrolling a student at their matched school will not take them off other schools’ waitlists. Applicants with questions can contact the school directly or call the My School D.C. hotline at (202) 888-6336. They can also email info.myschooldc@dc.gov. —Nathan Diller

Maryland Reports Its Deadliest Day, While Overall Infection Rates Drop

April 21, 11:20 a.m.: Maryland reported its deadliest day-over-day increase in coronavirus fatalities today, with 68 new probable deaths, bringing the state’s total to 584. The numbers show a 13% jump in fatalities from Monday, even while the state’s new infection rate plummeted. The deaths are considered probable and still have to be confirmed by lab test.

Death rates are down slightly from yesterday in D.C. and Virginia, and infection rates have dropped in all three jurisdictions.

There are now 26,921 total confirmed cases of the coronavirus in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and 1,020 related deaths. There has been a roughly 5% increase in the number of confirmed cases and about an 11% increase in fatalities from Monday across the three jurisdictions.

Sunday marked the first time all three had recorded fewer new cases than the day prior, but the numbers went back up on Monday.

Maryland reported 509 new positive cases, for a total of 14,193 cases of the virus. That’s up almost 4% from yesterday; on Monday the state’s new infections jumped by 11% from the day before. So far, 930 people have been released from isolation. The largest amount of infections and deaths continue to be in Prince George’s County.

Virginia saw an increase of 640 people testing positive and another 24 deaths today, bringing its totals to 9,630 cases of COVID-19 and 324 related deaths. That fatality rate is up about 8% from yesterday, and infections are up about 7%. Fairfax County continues to report the highest levels of cases in the commonwealth.

In D.C., another seven people have died — marking almost a 7% increase from yesterday — with 112 fatalities overall. The District has reported 3,098 total confirmed cases, an increase of about 6% from Sunday. So far, 636 people have recovered. African Americans make up 80% of deaths in D.C., though only about 46% of the city’s residents are black. — Julie Strupp

Fairfax County Public Schools Drops Distance Learning Platform, Investigates Rollout

April 21, 8:45 a.m.: Fairfax County tried Monday to relaunch face-to-face “virtual instruction,” after a disastrous rollout last week. By the end of the day, the school district decided to stop using the platform and hire a law firm to review its botched rollout.

“This is frustrating and disappointing for everyone,” wrote Scott Brabrand, Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent, in a late-night email to parents. “We recognize that our students and teachers need a reliable system for virtual learning.”

Initially, virtual instruction sessions lacked security measures, so anyone could log on to a class, using any name. Virtual classes were sabotaged, with people logging on using offensive and racist screen names. The platform Fairfax was using, Blackboard, worked to address these issues in recent days, but problems persisted during the relaunch Monday.

The school district has hired Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, a law firm with expertise in cybersecurity and IT, to review the launch of distance learning and provide future guidance. Brabrand has also created a three-person technology advisory council, to help resolve the current problems and to advise on best practices in the future. For now, teachers will keep teaching online, just not using live video streams.

“Although the start of virtual distance learning has not gone as planned, I am incredibly grateful to our teachers and support staff for the tremendous amount of hard work, long hours, and the learning provided to our students thus far,” wrote Brabrand. —Jacob Fenston

More Stories from Monday

• Trump Rebukes Maryland Governor’s Response To Coronavirus Testing
• Prince George’s County Reduced Jail Population By 150 People Since March
• Montgomery County May Create $2 Million Renter Assistance Fund
• You Can Now Request DDOT Extend Sidewalks Around Essential Businesses
• Va. Gov. Northam Says He’s Getting ‘Mixed Messages’ From White House
• Maryland Receives Half A Million Coronavirus Tests From South Korea
• As COVID-19 Spreads In D.C. Jail, City Announces New Safety Measures
• Coronavirus Deaths Top 900 in D.C., Maryland, And Virginia
• D.C.’s Convention Center Will Be Converted Into A Coronavirus Care Facility

Trump Rebukes Maryland Governor’s Response To Coronavirus Testing

April 20, 9:50 p.m.: President Donald Trump criticized Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and others on Monday, saying they did not understand how to access available coronavirus testing sites provided by the federal government.

“Hundreds and hundreds of labs are ready, willing and able, and some of the governors, like as an example, the governor from Maryland, didn’t really understand the list and he didn’t understand too much of what was going on, so now I think he will be able to do that,” Trump said at the daily press briefing.

On Monday, Hogan announced Maryland received a shipment of coronavirus test kits from South Korea in response to what he said was a lack of testing kits by the President. The state paid about $9 million dollars for the kits, which Hogan says can be used to perform about half a million tests.

The President said the shipment of kits from South Korea was unnecessary. At the press conference, Vice President Mike Pence added that on his call with state governors Monday he said the government has enough testing capacity for every state in the country to pass the initial phase of the pandemic.

Hogan’s office did not respond immediately to a request for comment at the time of publication. But in response to Trump’s comments, Hogan said on CNN Monday night that the President has said states should take the lead on testing. He added that in the list of available lab facilities shared by the White House, most of those in Maryland were federal facilities that the state could not access for testing.

Defending the move on CNN on Monday night, Hogan said the President said that states should take the lead on testing. –Christian Zapata

Prince George’s County Reduced Jail Population By 150 People Since March

April 20, 6:07 p.m.: Prince George’s County has reduced its jail population by 150 people since March 1, according to an announcement from State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.

“Since the start of this pandemic, we have been concerned about the possibility of infection at the detention center and have been actively working with the Office of the Public Defender and the Department of Corrections to reduce the population,” Braveboy said in the statement.

At the end of March, the Department of Corrections announced that one person in the jail had tested positive. WAMU has reached out to the Department of Corrections for an update. Correctional facilities across the country have become hot spots for COVID-19 among inmates and staffers alike.

There are still 568 people in custody, down from 718 at the beginning of March.

792 more people have been released from custody after an initial hearing shortly after their arrest, another process the State’s Attorney’s Office says it is “actively participating in.”

The reduction in the jail population is part of an unusual collaboration between the State’s Attorney, the Department of Corrections, and the Office of the Public Defender. Their efforts are focused on examining low-level offenders held before trial and inmates at the end of their jail sentence for possible release. –Margaret Barthel

Montgomery County May Create $2 Million Renter Assistance Fund

April 20, 4:41 p.m.: Montgomery County is considering establishing a $2 million fund to help cost-burdened renters stay housed during the pandemic.

In a proposal introduced by County Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At Large), the fund would support anti-homelessness programs overseen by the county’s Department of Health and Human Services. At least half of the appropriation would provide short-term rental subsidies to low- and moderate-income households affected by the crisis.

Glass is also calling on Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich to expand eligibility for housing assistance during the pandemic. “Accessing housing assistance programs should be simplified and streamlined during this crisis,” Glass wrote in a letter to the executive.

Last month Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan placed a temporary stay on evictions during the state of emergency.

Nearly half of renters in Montgomery County were cost-burdened before the pandemic, according to a county-commissioned study, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. The crisis has only made that worse. According to a council staff memo, the county’s Department and Health and Human Services reported “increased requests for housing assistance, particularly from people who have never asked for assistance before.”

The special appropriation would initially draw from Montgomery County’s reserves, but the jurisdiction would seek reimbursement from the state and federal government.

Glass plans to introduce the special appropriation Tuesday. It has unanimous support on the council. A public hearing and a vote have been scheduled for April 28. —Ally Schweitzer

You Can Now Request DDOT Extend Sidewalks Around Essential Businesses

April 20, 4:21 p.m.: After initially saying the city would not open up more space for social distancing, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a program Monday to temporarily expand sidewalks around essential businesses in the District.

The public can weigh in on what areas need the extension by reaching out to their local Advisory Neighborhood Commission or Business Improvement District. Those groups will forward the request to the District Department of Transportation.

“While staying at home is a crucial part of flattening the curve during the COVID-19 pandemic, we do recognize residents need to make trips to essential businesses like grocery stores, and sometimes existing sidewalk space makes social distancing a challenge,” Bowser said. “This tactic will allow for better social distancing as we all work together to flatten the curve.”

Bowser says all eight wards will get some version of sidewalk expansion. They will begin with one going into place down the main stretch of Cleveland Park on Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Ordway. DDOT says some areas will have barriers or signs closing off parts of roads to allow more space for pedestrians.

Many residents are still calling for more space for walking, running and biking. The District and the National Park Service have closed some roads in parks. –Jordan Pascale

Va. Gov. Northam Says He’s Getting ‘Mixed Messages’ From White House

April 20, 3:55 p.m.: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a new working group to scale up coronavirus testing across the Commonwealth on Monday.

Northam said the new working group would aim to increase testing volume, source supplies and transportation, and expand the criteria for who will be prioritized for testing. In particular, he encouraged doctors to test more symptomatic patients. Until now, the Virginia Department of Health prioritized testing for people who were hospitalized, those exposed to positive cases, emergency responders, and residents of long-term care facilities.

“The White House guidance, the CDC guidance, is that to consider a Phase 1 of easing restrictions, states must have 14 days in which case numbers decline,” he said. “Testing is the key to those next steps.”

At the same time, Northam accused the White House of encouraging people to flout those same government guidelines.

“We’re getting some mixed messages from the White House,” Northam told reporters. “On one hand we have these criteria that we agree with and we are doing everything we can to abide by it. And two days later we … see tweets that say to liberate Virginia.”

Northam was referring to President Trump’s Friday tweets to “LIBERATE VIRGINIA,” which came after protesters in Richmond ignored social distancing the day before and picnicked outside the Virginia Capitol to demand that nonessential businesses be opened.

Virginia Health Commissioner Norm Oliver said the state has filled in demographic data for all but 3 percent of the state’s 300 deaths due to the coronavirus. So far, African Americans account for 34 percent of fatalities even though they make up only 20 percent of Virginia’s population. Oliver said he has data for only about two-thirds of the state’s 8,990 confirmed cases, but so far African Americans accounted for 28 percent of them. —Daniella Cheslow

Maryland Receives Half A Million Coronavirus Tests From South Korea

April 20, 2:30 p.m.: A Korean Air Boeing 777 passenger plane landed at Baltimore-Washington International Airport on Saturday loaded with enough supplies to make 500,000 coronavirus tests. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan were there to greet it.

“We took an exponential, game-changing step forward on our large-scale testing initiative,” Gov. Hogan said during an announcement about the tests on Monday afternoon. Maryland paid about $9 million dollars for 5,000 test kits, which can be used to make half a million tests.

The announcement came a day after Hogan appeared on CNN and criticized President Donald Trump for the lack of tests, despite the president’s claims to the contrary. “The administration, I think, is trying to ramp up testing,” Hogan said. “But to try and push this off to say that the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing—somehow we aren’t doing our job—is just absolutely false.”

Hogan said his wife played a key role in what he called “Operation Enduring Friendship.”: Yumi Hogan is a Korean immigrant and speaks fluent Korean.

More than 13,600 cases have been confirmed in the state and more than 500 Marylanders have died as of this morning. —Mikaela Lefrak

As COVID-19 Spreads In D.C. Jail, City Announces New Safety Measures

April 20, 12:25 p.m.: Mayor Bowser announced a series of new measures at the city’s Department of Corrections facilities to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including daily showers for the nearly 500 inmates in isolation. The city will also acquire more tablets to reduce the number of inmates crowding around televisions for entertainment.

The announcement follows a federal judge’s order on Sunday to overhaul safety measures in the D.C. Jail. The judge stopped short of ordering the release of more inmates. Inmates’ families and advocates have long expressed concerns about the jail during the pandemic, as have inmates themselves.

Ninety inmates and 26 employees of Department of Corrections facilities have tested positive for COVID-19. Preventing the virus’s spread has been an “extraordinary challenge,” said Kevin Donahue, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, in part because more than a quarter of D.C. Jail employees are not coming to work due to illness or other coronavirus-related concerns. (The union representing correctional officers sued the city on Friday over their workplace conditions.)

The mayor also announced that the number of violent crimes over the past 30 days has dropped 3% compared to the previous month and 14% compared to the same period last year. Property crime went down 39% compared to the previous month and 31% year-over-year. The number of gun crimes remained steady.

D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham noted that he has increased police presence in certain parts of the city to enforce social distancing, including Meridian Hill Park, Lincoln Park and the Wharf. Police have not arrested anyone for violating social distancing protocol yet, but Newsham said that they “will make arrests if necessary.” —Mikaela Lefrak

Coronavirus Deaths Top 900 in D.C., Maryland, And Virginia

April 20, 11:20 a.m.: There are now 25,601 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and 921 related deaths. There has been an 11 percent increase in the number of confirmed cases and about a 13 percent increase in fatalities from Sunday in the three jurisdictions.

Sunday had marked the first day in more than a week that all three jurisdictions reported fewer new cases than the day prior, and today’s uptick indicates that yesterday did not mark the beginning of a downward trend.

Maryland reported 854 new positive tests and another 30 deaths. The state has seen a total of 13,684 cases of the virus, up almost 11 percent from yesterday, and 516 deaths, also up 11 percent from Sunday. So far 917 people have been released from isolation. The largest amount of infections and deaths are in Prince George’s County.

Virginia saw an increase of 453 people testing positive and another 23 deaths this morning, bringing its totals to 8,990 cases of COVID-19 and 300 related deaths. That fatality rate is up about 16 percent from yesterday, and infections are up about 12 percent. Fairfax County continues to report the highest levels of cases in the commonwealth.

In D.C., another nine people have died—marking about a 15 percent increase from yesterday—with 105 fatalities overall. The District has reported 2,927 total confirmed cases, an increase of about 10 percent from Sunday. So far 630 people have recovered. Seventy nine percent of D.C.’s deaths have been black people, though only about 46 percent of the city’s residents are African American.

For the first time, the city released deaths by ward. Ward 8 saw the largest percentage of deaths in the city—22 people have died of COVID-19, or 21 percent of the city’s total. Seven people who died of COVID-19 were experiencing homelessness. —Julie Strupp

D.C.’s Convention Center Will Be Converted Into A Coronavirus Care Facility

April 20, 9:55 a.m.: The Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the District will be converted into an alternate care facility in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“While our goal is to never use the Convention Center, we must have the capacity to support a potential increase in COVID-19 patients,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We thank the Army Corps, FEMA, and Events DC for their continued partnership during this public health emergency.”

The Convention Center’s three halls will be converted into a facility to treat patients who are non-ICU and do not need a ventilator. According to the mayor’s office, 500 beds will be set up by the first week in May, and the remaining 1,000 beds are slated to be completed by the end of the month.

The Army Corps conducted site inspections in late March, and the Convention Center met the necessary medical standard requirements. The space has several advantages, including its central location and its loading dock and ambulance access. —Kavitha Cardoza

For more on how coronavirus has impacted the D.C. region, see these updates from the week of April 13-April 19.