Maryland officials say they’ve tested at least 10% of its population in every jurisdiction, a key milestone in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 930,00 Maryland residents have received a coronavirus test — 15.4% of the population. Cecil County was the last jurisdiction to cross the 10% threshold, the governor’s office announced Saturday.

“Our aggressive statewide testing strategy is helping us understand, identify, and stop the spread of this virus, and I want to commend all of our local jurisdictions for stepping up to meet our goal of testing 10% of their population,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a press release.

In the D.C. region, Montgomery and Prince George’s County have both tested approximately 15% of their populations for COVID-19. Anne Arundel County has tested 13.4% of its residents. 

Hogan has frequently touted his state’s effort to ramp up testing. Even though the raw number of new cases increased in Maryland in July, the state’s positive test rate remained below 5% — which is a benchmark the WHO has set to guide reopening decisions. 

Maryland’s positive test rate was 4.6% as of Aug. 1, up slightly from 4.47% on July 31.   

Statewide, this figure has been below the 5% threshold for more than a month. But it is higher in four jurisdictions, including the city of Baltimore and hard-hit Prince George’s County where on Saturday the governor’s office said it was 6.35%.     

Maryland recorded 909 new positive cases Sunday and nine more COVID-19 deaths.  

Last week, Hogan announced a stricter mask requirement and a travel advisory that strongly discourages travel to or from states where infections have surged.   

While cases have not spiked in Maryland like they have throughout parts of the South and West, Hogan said he was concerned about a rise in hospitalizations — up nearly 30% in two weeks — and would pause any further reopening until the data improves.

There were 553 people hospitalized in Maryland on Sunday, a dip from 592 yesterday, but up from a low point of 385 in mid-July.

Hogan said Wednesday that Maryland is at “a critical turning point where we could either continue making progress … or we could ignore the warnings and spike back up like the rest of the country.” 

Arlington County Limits Crowds On Sidewalks

Arlington County is also taking steps more restrictive steps to curb transmission of the virus.

The county board on Friday passed an emergency ordinance banning groups larger than three from congregating on streets and sidewalks when there are posted restrictions. Pedestrians must stay at least six feet apart in these areas. 

Anyone who violates the rule could face a fine of up to $100, though enforcement will only begin “after a period of outreach and education,” and after signs explaining the policy are posted.   

“While most Arlingtonians are adhering to requirements to wear masks and maintain social distancing, unfortunately, some are not,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a press release, “They are putting themselves and our community at risk of serious illness or death during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

She said the board wants to make it clear “this pandemic is far from under control,” and that social distancing is key to stopping the spread of the virus. She also hopes people will comply voluntarily and the county will not be forced to issue citations.

It’s not yet clear where exactly the ordinance will be applied, but the board noted that since Virginia entered Phase 3 of its reopening, the county has witnessed crowding in and around restaurants. NBC4’s Tom Lynch captured a photo of a crowd of mostly young adults on the sidewalk outside Whitlow’s On Wilson in Clarendon Friday night.

https://twitter.com/TomLynch_/status/1289392636126691328

New case numbers have largely held steady in Northern Virginia, but Gov. Ralph Northam has taken action to confront a recent spike in cases in the Hampton Roads area. Statewide, the 7-day average of new cases has started to decline from a new peak in mid-July.     

Northam ordered restaurants to once again limit their indoor dining capacity to 50%, stop serving alcohol after 10 p.m. and close by midnight. 

Though he did not tighten restrictions in other regions, he wanted “all options are on the table, and if I see the numbers increasing in the surrounding areas, we will take action.”

Sunday, Virginia recorded 981 new cases and three new deaths. 

Meanwhile, the District reported one new COVID-19 death and 69 new cases Sunday, compared to 25 new cases one month prior on July 2.  

D.C. recently adjusted one of its key metrics for moving into Phase 3 of its reopening plan. Officials announced Wednesday they are now looking for a positive test rate below 5%, measured on a 7-day rolling average, rather than the previous goal of 10%. 

The District is meeting that benchmark with a positivity rate of 3.6%. 

As of now, the city is meeting five out of seven metrics needed to reach Phase 3. Community spread of the virus, however, is classified as increasing. The city is also struggling to achieve a new metric that deals with the strength of the District’s contact tracing operation. 

Only 4.8% of people who tested positive for the virus were known, close contacts of a previous case. This can indicate the virus is spreading in the community. The District’s goal is for this figure to reach 60%. 

The District now requires anyone traveling from 27 states deemed “high-risk” to quarantine for 14 days. On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that D.C. public schools will begin the year online, further signaling the District is not ready to go back to normal everyday life

On Friday, the superintendent of Alexandria Public Schools in Virginia announced plans for 100% distance learning, which means all the public school systems in the D.C. region would begin the year remotely, though D.C. charter schools can make individual decisions about reopening.

This story was updated with more information on Arlington’s sidewalk ordinance.