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It’s Thanksgiving Day, and families across the United States are gathering around the table in smaller numbers or hopping on Zoom or Facetime to connect virtually.
Here in the DC area, new restrictions that went into effect on Wednesday limit the number of people legally allowed to assemble for the festivities.
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DC, Montgomery County, and Prince George County all have a 10-person limit for private gatherings indoors.
In Maryland and Virginia, indoor social gatherings cannot exceed 25 people.
If you are planning to attend a gathering on Thanksgiving Day, you can use the tool below to get an idea of the level of risk you face, depending on the size of the event you are attending.
Currently, in a gathering of 10 people in Washington, there is an 11% chance that one person in attendance will be positive for COVID-19. In Montgomery and Prince George, the probabilities are 12% and 16%, respectively.
Your chances of encountering the coronavirus at a Thanksgiving event
This map, based on a model by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, uses real-time data to show the risk of witnessing an event given its size and location. Risk level refers to the likelihood of encountering at least one COVID-19 positive individual, and the model assumes there are at least five times as many cases as reported.
More than 4,500 people in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia were diagnosed with coronavirus on Thursday and 48 lives have been lost.
Thursday’s data presents a mix of trends – some encouraging, others worrying.
On the one hand, hospitalizations have reached an all time high in Virginia. On the flip side, the moving average of new DC and Maryland cases indicates that the spread of the virus may be slowing, raising hopes that the peak in our region is starting to ease.
The district on Wednesday banned outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people and added other restrictions:
- Restaurants can stay open until midnight, but sales and alcohol consumption must end by 10 p.m.
- The number of people inside places of worship has been reduced from 100 to 50 people, or from 50% to 25% of capacity, whichever is smaller.
- All indoor group lessons and all outdoor group lessons of 25 people or more must be suspended. Individuals can still exercise solo in gyms.
- The live entertainment pilot is suspended.
An owner of an exercise facility is fighting against mayor’s orders calling them “unfair”.
Anne Mahlum, Founder and CEO of SolidCore, sent a letter to clients saying DC locations will remain open despite the city’s new COVID-19 restrictions suspending all indoor group training classes.
A chain of fitness studios in Washington will remain open despite the city’s order to suspend all indoor group exercise classes. The owner explained to News4 why she is defying the order.
Also beginning on Wednesday, Maryland state soldiers began deploying statewide to strengthen enforcement of the governor’s emergency orders for bars, restaurants and private places.
Health officials say making the tough choices now will leave us with plenty to be thankful for in the weeks to come.
Hogan is also urging residents of Maryland to participate in the state’s COVID-19 tracking app to quell the virus this holiday season.
Montgomery County now requires face masks outdoors.
Health official Travis Gayles released updated guidance on Montgomery County’s new mask policy on Wednesday.
Masks should only be worn when social distancing cannot be maintained. Exemptions from the requirement to wear a mask include when a person eats or drinks, alone in a vehicle, swims, or unable to wear a face mask due to a disability.
Those under 18 don’t have to wear a mask when exercising rigorously. Adults should wear them when exercising, unless the face covering poses a “good faith” safety risk, Gayles said.
Bars in Montgomery County are usually packed with students the day before Thanksgiving, but it was much less crowded this year as the county enforces COVID-19 restrictions. News4’s Jackie Bensen reports.
The Pentagon recently registered more than 1,300 new confirmed cases of coronavirus among sister service branches, setting a new record for the military in 24 hours.
“We have seen a general increase in positive COVID-19 cases as we enter the holiday season,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Tuesday. He says the Defense Department is taking action to mitigate the spread of the disease.
What the data show
Maryland and DC continue to show signs of improvement in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
DC reported 220 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths on Thursday.
DC’s seven-day average holds firm to a leveling trend seen for the largest week. The city currently reports an average of 151 daily cases.
The test positivity is currently 4.3% and the test turnaround time continues to increase – you can now expect your COVID-19 test results to return in around 3.6 days.
Maryland recorded an increase in cases of 2,319 and 29 lives lost Thursday.
The state’s seven-day average (2,250) indicates that cases continue to level off, staying at or below last week’s 2,300.
In some bad news, hospitalizations in Maryland are still very high. The state reported that 1,453 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Maryland.
The spread of COVID-19 continues to accelerate in Virginia. 1,980 additional cases and 19 deaths were recorded on Thursday.
The state’s seven-day average rose to 2,036, setting a new record.
Hospitalizations in Virginia (1,286) are also the highest on record.
Virginia’s test positivity rate currently stands at 7.4%.
Local headlines on the coronavirus
- Fairfax County health officials have released a list of holiday coronavirus guidelines, dividing activities into different risk categories.
- Some students in Fairfax County have returned to fully virtual learning amid an increase in coronavirus cases.
- A total of 51,510 coronavirus tests were administered in Maryland on Friday, the highest on record in a single day.
- The Smithsonian is once again closing its museums and the National Zoo due to recent spikes in COVID-19 cases.
- A program that provided extended unemployment benefits to unemployed Virginians will end on Saturday.
- COVID-19 numbers continue to paint a dire picture for black Americans, and the black community is working to increase testing.
- The metro’s board of directors voted on Thursday to close a budget gap by changing the frequency of train movements.
- The University of Maryland’s football game against Michigan State University scheduled for Saturday has been called off due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the Terrapins’ locker rooms.
- Officials overturned the decision to cancel the annual Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery. The event, which will take place in December, will take place after all.
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday announced how the state will allocate about $ 70 million in federal aid as the state braces for months of rising coronavirus cases.
- Eight players from the University of Maryland football team have tested positive for COVID-19. The game against Ohio State has been called off.
- Maryland has released a new contact tracing app and has cut indoor bar and restaurant operations by 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations.
- A review by News4’s Team I revealed concerns that Prince George County, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, has received what some are calling a disappointing share of the more than 165 million in aid dollars so far.
- DC now requires travelers from all but four states to be tested for COVID-19, once before travel and again if they plan to stay in the district for more than three days. Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii and Vermont are the exceptions.
Reopening of the Tracker
How to stay safe
There are ways to lower your risk of catching coronavirus. Here are the CDC guidelines:
- Anyone over 2 years old must wear a mask or face shield. Keep it on your nose and mouth.
- Wash your hands often. When you do, scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. As a safeguard, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid close contact with anyone living outside your home. This means staying six feet from anyone outside of your circle, even if you are wearing masks.
- Always cover coughs and sneezes.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
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