DC to Close Schools, Joining Maryland, Virginia as Area Coronavirus Cases Hit 40
State efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus ramped up on at the end of the week, with Virginia declaring a state of emergency and Maryland and D.C. closing schools
News4’s Doreen Gentzler shows a timeline of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
The coronavirus outbreak is upending life in the D.C. area.
School officials, employers, event planners and government officials in D.C., Maryland and Virginia told people to stay home and isolate themselves as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the region hit 57 Thursday.
Public Gatherings, Cherry Blossom Festival Events Canceled
One of D.C.'s largest tourist and cultural events —which normally draws up to 1.5 million visitors — will scale back in light of the contagious virus. Two major events, the National Cherry Blossom Parade and Petalpalooza, are canceled this year.
The Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival and Anacostia River Festival have been postponed.
City leaders are also doing what they can to push social distancing efforts. D.C. revoked event permits for all pub crawls that were scheduled for Saturday, including The Shamrock Crawl, the St. Patrick's Day Crawl and the Chase the Green Crawl.
D.C. also implemented a mandatory ban on gatherings of 250 people or more. For those in at-risk groups, the ban is 10 people or more.
"The spread of COVID-19 represents an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of District residents that requires emergency protective actions to be undertaken by the District Government," the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board said.
DC to Close Schools, Adopt Distance Learning
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that D.C. Public Schools would close starting Monday, March 16, through the end of the month and implement distance learning. Teachers will report to work on Monday to plan distance learning. The school's spring break in April was set to be canceled. Charter schools were encouraged to adopt similar measures.
During that same period, many D.C. government employees will operate under an agency-specific telework plan, Bowser said.
The city government will work to continue essential services, including giving meals to D.C. students. Here's more on the city's plan.
"Some government operations will be performed fully remotely, while other services will continue to be performed at public buildings, but under modified operations," Bowser said.
Safety measures are expected to further punctuate daily routines and normal life as officials respond to rapidly changing conditions.
More than 800,000 Maryland students are expected in seats Friday, before schools statewide close through March 27 for cleaning and protective measures.
Tens of thousands of students are already staying home on Friday or preparing to stay home on Monday. Loudoun County Schools, with more than 80,000 students, plan to close Friday and reopen Monday, March 23.
Federal agencies have been directed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to review telework, sick leave and other human resource policies. Some private employers in the D.C. area have asked employees to start working from home when possible.
D.C. Superior Court will change operations to postpone non-urgent business or conduct it remotely. The number of jurors required to report to court will be kept to a minimum. Details of the changes will be posted Monday morning.
The D.C. Court of Appeals is encouraging e-filing and livestreaming oral arguments. The court is suspending the filing of paper copies of e-filed documents beginning March 16.
Maryland state courts will be closed to the public for three weeks beginning March 16.
Employees are to report to work, and the courts will be staffed to handle emergencies like domestic violence petitions, bail reviews, juvenile detention and shelter hearings, and search warrants. Judges can use remote electronic means when possible.
Precautions taken because of the coronavirus are an effort to flatten the curve. News4's Leon Harris explains.
The goal of social distancing measures is to slow virus transmission as to not overload hospitals.
Headed into the weekend, health officials urged people to distance themselves in hopes of preventing exposure to germs. Some grocery stores in the D.C. area and online retailers ran out of staple pantry items and toilet paper as customers stocked up amid uncertainty.
Even the Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, Arlington National Cemetery and the Blue Line Metro stop that serves it will close.
Photo by RYAN M. KELLY/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters rally against stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic outside Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia on April 16, 2020. – After some protesters gathered inside the park, police locked the gates and prevented further entry, where the remaining protesters gathered at the fence. With over two million cases worldwide, deaths approaching 140,000, and nearly 4.4 billion people subject to some degree of lockdown, COVID-19 has brought much of the global economy to a standstill. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly / AFP)
Photo by RYAN M. KELLY/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters rally against stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia on April 16, 2020. – With over two million cases worldwide, deaths approaching 140,000, and nearly 4.4 billion people subject to some degree of lockdown, COVID-19 has brought much of the global economy to a standstill. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly / AFP)
Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 17: In a protest designed to adhere to social-distancing and with care taken for safety, 1,000 pop-up signs were arranged on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building showing the faces of nurses and frontline healthcare workers pleading for adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) on April 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. The signs, representing 18,000 American health care workers each, including selfies taken by doctors, nurses and other medical professionals actively fighting to save the lives of coronavirus patients across the United States. The demonstration was organized by a collection of progressive advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and unions representing healthcare workers including the American Federation of Teachers, Communications Workers of America, FrontlinePPENow, GetUsPPE, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Service Employees International Union, and Women’s March. The organizations have jointly collected more than 2 million actions calling for urgent production and distribution of PPE. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn)
Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 17: In a protest designed to adhere to social-distancing and with care taken for safety, 1,000 pop-up signs were arranged on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building showing the faces of nurses and frontline healthcare workers pleading for adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) on April 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. The signs, representing 18,000 American health care workers each, including selfies taken by doctors, nurses and other medical professionals actively fighting to save the lives of coronavirus patients across the United States. The demonstration was organized by a collection of progressive advocacy organizations, health care organizations, and unions representing healthcare workers including the American Federation of Teachers, Communications Workers of America, FrontlinePPENow, GetUsPPE, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Service Employees International Union, and Women’s March. The organizations have jointly collected more than 2 million actions calling for urgent production and distribution of PPE. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn)
Photo by RYAN M. KELLY/AFP via Getty Images
Police urge protesters to spread out during a rally against stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia on April 16, 2020. – With over two million cases worldwide, deaths approaching 140,000, and nearly 4.4 billion people subject to some degree of lockdown, COVID-19 has brought much of the global economy to a standstill. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly / AFP)
Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
TOPSHOT – A woman wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat sticks her tongue out of a damaged mask as demonstrators protest during a “Reopen Maryland” rally outside the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, calling on the state to lift stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, April 18, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Demonstrators protest during a “Reopen Maryland” rally outside the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, calling on the state to lift stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, April 18, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
(Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Two men play chess outside the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC on March 31, 2020. – To prevent the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19, , Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC, all announced March 30 stay-at-home orders, which strongly discourage residents from leaving home, except for essential trips like grocery or pharmacy shopping, or to travel for work. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
(Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT – Lauryn Morley, a lower school substitute teacher for the Washington Waldorf School in Bethesda, Maryland, works from her home due to the Coronavirus outbreak, on April 1, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. – Her role in the school changed significantly when Coronavirus hit. She was previously working part time to support teachers when they needed to be absent from the classroom and now she helps them to build skills with new digital platforms so they can continue to teach in the best way for their students and their families.The middle school (grades 6-8) has most regularly been using Zoom and the lower grades have been using Zoom with parents. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP)
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 06: A medical professional administers a coronavirus test at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site run by George Washington University Hospital on April 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Monday was the first day the test site was open, making it the fourth location in the District of Columbia doing COVID-19 testing. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – APRIL 05: Musicians preform during a walk thru Palm Sunday Service at Friendship Baptist Church held due to the COVID-19 pandemic on April 05, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. Police were on hand to enforce the governor’s order limiting the size of gatherings in the state to 10 people or fewer amid increasing coronavirus-related constraints on social gatherings. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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UNITED STATES – APRIL 6: A 3-year-old wraps up a bike ride on Randolph Place NW, in the Bloomingdale neighborhood during the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, April 6, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
TAKOMA PARK, MD – APRIL 06: Playground equipment is wrapped up in an effort to prevent people from spreading the coronoavirus at Belle Ziegler Park April 06, 2020 in Takoma Park, Maryland. Communities around the globe have reduced access to places people congregate in public and ordered many to shelter-in-place in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
VIRGINIA, USA – APRIL 2: People shop at Wholesale market as the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis continues, on April 2, 2020 in Arlington, Va, United States. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 06: Medical professional wait for patients to arrive at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site run by George Washington University Hospital on April 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Monday was the first day the test site was open, making it the fourth location in the District of Columbia doing COVID-19 testing. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service via Getty Images
ARLINGTON, VA – APRIL 03: An Arlington County employee carries donations at a drive-thru donation point created to collect unused and unopened personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and some food items to help people responding to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on April 3, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service via Getty Images)
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
ELKRIDGE, MARYLAND – MARCH 31: Hatch Exhibits fabricator and installer Morgan Frailey sews together medical gowns the company produces to protect people from the novel coronavirus March 31, 2020 in Elkridge, Maryland. As COVID-19 spread across the country, Hatch Exhibits — which makes, stages, displays and pop-up exhibition booths — furloughed its 23 employees after big projects were cancelled earlier this month. Then, a week ago, owner Chris McCormick and his staff found a way to repurpose their fabric and materials cutting machinery to quickly meet the demand for personal protection equipment for medical workers. After getting orders for tens of thousands of face shields and gowns, the company called back half its laid off employees and hopes to bring more back soon. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photo by Jim WatsonAFP via Getty Images
A Costco employee disinfects a shopping cart as shoppers line up to get into the bulk shopping store in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2020. – The number of confirmed coronavirus, COVID-19, cases in the United States has topped 300,000 and there have been more than 8,100 deaths, Johns Hopkins University reported on Saturday. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
(Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)
A stuffed bear is placed on a balcony to give children a fun and safe activity while walking around their neighbourhood with parents in Washington on April 6, 2020. – A mass teddy bear hunt is under way around the world to help distract the millions of children locked down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The hunt is inspired by the childrens book Were Going on a Bear Hunt, written by UK author Michael Rosen. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP)
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
A near empty food Pentagon City Mall is seen in Arlington, Virginia on March 17, 2020. – The coronavirus outbreak has transformed the US virtually overnight from a place of boundless consumerism to one suddenly constrained by nesting and social distancing.The crisis tests all retailers, leading to temporary store closures at companies like Apple and Nike, manic buying of food staples at supermarkets and big-box stores like Walmart even as many stores remain open for business — albeit in a weirdly anemic consumer environment. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images
Washingtonians and tourists walk around the tidal basin to see this years Cherry Blossom’s despite the outbreak of Coronavirus, COVID-19, and the social distancing recommendations by the authorities on March 21, 2020 in Washington, DC. – Almost one billion people were confined to their homes worldwide Saturday as the global coronavirus death toll topped 12,000 and US states rolled out stay-at-home measures already imposed across swathes of Europe. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP)
Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP
Father Scott Holmer hears confessions in the parking lot of Saint Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Bowie, Maryland on March 20, 2020. – The pastor of the church began hearing confessions from the faithful in their cars at the church parking lot as places of worship in the area are suspending or limiting services due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)
Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
SILVER SPRING, MD – MARCH 19: Members of the Maryland Army National Guard work to set up a triage tent in the parking lot outside of the emergency room at Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center on March 19, 2020 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Hospitals across the country are preparing for an influx of additional patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call
UNITED STATES – MARCH 22: A visitor wears a face mask at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington on Sunday, March 22, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images
ARLINGTON, VA – MARCH 20:
Priscella Bauer (cq), 90, L, chats with her son, Kevin Bauer, 64, via cell phone during a through-the-door visit at Brookdale Arlington Senior Living in Arlington, VA, on Friday, March 20, 2020. Brookdale Arlington, closed to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic, is allowing family members to visit loved ones in the nursing home by staying outside glass doors while the nursing home residents stay inside.
(Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Win McNamee/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 23: A member of the Metropolitan Police Department closes areas surrounding the Washington Monument and National Mall with police tape due to concerns with the spread of the coronavirus on March 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. Public officials around the world are urging all citizens to stay at home to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images
A man jogs by a sign recommending social distancing and sanitary measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus, Covid-19, during the outbreak on March 21, 2020 in Washington, DC. – Almost one billion people were confined to their homes worldwide Saturday as the global coronavirus death toll topped 12,000 and US states rolled out stay-at-home measures already imposed across swathes of Europe. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
A message is posted on near empty shelves for canned goods in a supermarket in Washington, DC on March 20, 2020. – The coronavirus outbreak has transformed the US virtually overnight from a place of boundless consumerism to one suddenly constrained by nesting and social distancing. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg
Members of the media have their temperature taken ahead of a Coronavirus Task Force news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, March 22, 2020. Trump said that he will work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to get stimulus package and expects Congress to pass it. Photographer: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg
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Joachim, 8, whose school was closed following the Coronavirus outbreak, does school exercises at home with his dad Pierre-Yves in Washington on March 20, 2020. – As millions of families hunker down amid the coronavirus crisis, the sudden reality of schooling from home risks widening the education gap between those with the means and support to keep up with lessons, and those who risk falling behind. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)
John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC- MARCH 20: Looking east towards the Capitol Building on a vacant Pennsylvania Avenue at 6:49 pm due to the coronavirus pandemic in Washington, DC on March 20, 2020 . (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Paul Morigi/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 20: A sign encourages people to make smart health-related decisions during their visit to the blooming cherry blossoms amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on March 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. The tourism and entertainment industries have been hit hard by restrictions in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
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LEONARDTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 17: Nurses screen patients for COVID-19 virus testing at a drive-up location outside Medstar St. Mary’s Hospital on March 17, 2020 in Leonardtown, Maryland. The facility is one of the first in the Washington, DC area to offer coronavirus testing as more than 5,200 cases have been confirmed in the United States, and more than 90 deaths have been attributed to the virus. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
photos taken by Julia Lerner for The Diamondback
Special teams brought in by UMD’s Facilities Management to sanitize classrooms across Knight Hall (journalism school) after potential exposure to COVID-19 on Tuesday
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 12: Tourists visit the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on the final day the U.S. Capitol will be open to the public due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Earlier today it was announced the U.S. Capitol will be closed until at least April 1 due to evolving concerns about the spread of the virus. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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A commuter wears a face mask in the Metro Center train station in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. New reports have shown cases of coronavirus in the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised Americans to take extra precautions. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Willian Avila
Toilet paper aisle in the Tenleytown Target
Aracely Velasquez
Costco lines in Wheaton, Maryland
Aracely Velasquez
Costco lines in Wheaton, Maryland
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A commuter wears a face mask in the Metro Center train station in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. New reports have shown cases of coronavirus in the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised Americans to take extra precautions. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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UNITED STATES – MARCH 9: A skateboarder wearing a protective mask skates on the East Plaza of the U.S. Capitol on Monday, March 9, 2020. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A passenger wearing a mask is seen at The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport amid coronavirus outbreak in the area. There were 22 coronavirus cases reported in the District, Maryland and Virginia as of Tuesday March 10, 2020 according with the authorities. Washington, D.C. March 11, 2020. (Photo by Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Aulia Shariat
Toilet paper aisle in the Rockville, Maryland, Target
Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
UNITED STATES – MARCH 5: An advisory about physical contact hangs on the door of the office of Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, in Washington with recent concerns about the growing Corona virus cases on Thursday, March 5, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 06: Customers line up outside of the coronavirus pop-up store by Adilisha Patrom, owner of the Suites DC, a co-working and event space across the street from Gallaudet University, who started her pop-up store that sells face masks, protective gloves, and hand sanitizer for customers concerned about the spread of the novel coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC on March 6, 2020. With the growing spread of the coronavirus around the world it is becoming harder and harder to find protective equipment and hand sanitizer around the country, especially the N95 protective face mask which Patrom is selling for $30, three times its regular cost. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A commuter wearing a face mask rides a train stopped at the Gallery Place station in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the U.S. is “going to keep taking very aggressive steps” to protect Americans against the coronavirus, which he calls a “very serious public health threat.” Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 06: Customers line up outside of the coronavirus pop-up store by Adilisha Patrom, owner of the Suites DC, a co-working and event space across the street from Gallaudet University, who started her pop-up store that sells face masks, protective gloves, and hand sanitizer for customers concerned about the spread of the novel coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC on March 6, 2020. With the growing spread of the coronavirus around the world it is becoming harder and harder to find protective equipment and hand sanitizer around the country, especially the N95 protective face mask which Patrom is selling for $30, three times its regular cost. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
UNITED STATES – MARCH 9: Tourists wearing protective masks tour the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday, March 9, 2020. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A commuter wearing a face mask views a mobile device at the Gallery Place train station in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the U.S. is “going to keep taking very aggressive steps” to protect Americans against the coronavirus, which he calls a “very serious public health threat.” Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
LAUREL, MARYLAND – MARCH 15: A restaurant is seen closed as live on-track racing occurs without spectators at Laurel Park on March 15, 2020 in Laurel, Maryland. Nearly all of professional sports have been canceled or postposed because of the Coronavirus pandemic, except for horse racing. However, today Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued an emergency order to close all Maryland casinos, racetracks, and simulcast betting facilities to the general public due to COVID-19. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Inaara Gangji
Safeway in D.C.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Tourists, wearing protective masks, walk through the main entrance at Union Station in Washington, DC on March 9, 2020. – US health authorities urged Americans most at risk of getting seriously ill from the new coronavirus, COVID-19, to stock up on food and medicine and prepare to remain at home, as the pathogen spread rapidly across the country. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Diego Garces
Purell in the DC Metro
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A traveler wears a face mask while sitting at Union Station in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the U.S. is “going to keep taking very aggressive steps” to protect Americans against the coronavirus, which he calls a “very serious public health threat.” Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
A tour operator, wearing a protective mask, gestures as he leads a tour near the US Capitol in Washington, DC on March 9, 2020. – US health authorities urged Americans most at risk of getting seriously ill from the new coronavirus, COVID-19, to stock up on food and medicine and prepare to remain at home, as the pathogen spread rapidly across the country. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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UNITED STATES – MARCH 11: Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, FDA Administrator, left, elbow bumps Rep. Robert Aderholt, D-Ala., before the start of a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies on “Food and Drug Administration Budget Request for FY2021 in Washington on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
A man, wearing a protective mask, walks past shops in Union Station in Washington, DC on March 9, 2020. – US health authorities urged Americans most at risk of getting seriously ill from the new coronavirus, COVID-19, to stock up on food and medicine and prepare to remain at home, as the pathogen spread rapidly across the country. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
A man wearing a mask against infections listens while Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 at the Washington Convention Center on March 9, 2020, in Washington, DC. – Global financial markets tanked, oil prices crashed and Italy extended strict quarantine measures across the whole country on Monday as the deadly coronavirus disrupted economies and societies across the world. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND – APRIL 02: Silver Diner beverage manager Richard Torres helps hand out 400 free meals outside the restaurant during the coronavirus pandemic April 02, 2020 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. With thousands of children missing meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing schools, Silver Diner is partnering with Real Food for Kids to provide 400 free meals a day to families in need beginning at 2pm every weekday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – MARCH 13: Shelves normally stocked with hand wipes, hand sanitizer and toilet paper sit empty at a Target store as people stockpile supplies due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) March 13, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. The U.S. government is racing to make more coronavirus test kits available as schools close around the country, sporting events are canceled, and businesses encourage workers to telecommute where possible. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 09: A worker disinfects the front doors of the School Without Walls High School, which was closed today after a member of the school’s staff reported close contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus, on March 09, 2020 in Washington, DC. Three D.C. public schools were closed today for deep cleaning. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 07: A coronavirus public service announcement is displayed on the scoreboard prior to Inter Miami and D.C. United playing at Audi Field on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BJ Forte / NBC Washington
Costco in Leesburg, Virginia
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A passenger landing from Vienna, Austria, reunites with family members in the International arrivals zone at Dulles airport outside Washington on March 13 2020. – US President Donald Trump said Friday he was considering adding Britain to a ban on travelers from mainland Europe as London warned the coronavirus outbreak may have infected up to 10,000 people there. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Children, some wearing face masks as a preventive measure, pick up free lunch at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia on March 16, 2020, after schools in the area closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. – Stocks tumbled on March 16, 2020 despite emergency central bank measures to prop up the virus-battered global economy, as countries across Europe started the week in lockdown and major US cities shut bars and restaurants. The virus has upended society around the planet, with governments imposing restrictions rarely seen outside wartime, including the closing of borders, home quarantine orders and the scrapping of public events including major sporting fixtures. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Cleaning staff is seen in the near empty Pentagon City Mall in Arlington, Virginia on March 17, 2020. – The coronavirus outbreak has transformed the US virtually overnight from a place of boundless consumerism to one suddenly constrained by nesting and social distancing.The crisis tests all retailers, leading to temporary store closures at companies like Apple and Nike, manic buying of food staples at supermarkets and big-box stores like Walmart even as many stores remain open for business — albeit in a weirdly anemic consumer environment. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A family wear protective face masks while carrying luggage at the Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Monday, March 16, 2020. The airline industry, ravaged by plummeting bookings due to the coronavirus, is seeking grants and loans totaling as much as $58 billion from the U.S. government as well as temporary relief from various taxes. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND – MARCH 16: (L-R) Carroll Hospital Outpatient Wound Care Clinical Manager Dawn Canova, Critical Care Unit Clinical Manager Stephanie Bakert and other volunteers wait for people to be tested for the coronavirus at a drive-thru station in the hospital’s parking garage March 16, 2020 in Westminster, Maryland. Not open to the general public for testing, the station was set up to take samples from people who had spoken with their doctors and received explicit direction to get a test for the novel coronavirus called COVID-19. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND – MARCH 16: Dawn Canova, clinical manager for outpatient wound care at Carroll Hospital, prepares to take samples from people so to test them for the coronavirus at a drive-thru station in the hospital’s parking garage March 16, 2020 in Westminster, Maryland. Not open to the general public for testing, the station was set up to take samples from people who had spoken with their doctors and received explicit direction to get a test for the novel coronavirus called COVID-19. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 17: Director of U.S. Senate Radio & Television Correspondents Gallery Mike Mastrian wipes clean the podium as a precaution in response to coronavirus prior to a news conference at the gallery’s studio March 17, 2020 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. The death toll of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. has reached to 100. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, – MARCH 17: Robert Lee of the District of Columbia walks through the Penn Quarter of the city, which is mostly empty of vehicle traffic and pedestrians due to the coronavirus outbreak March 17, 2020 in Various Cities, United States. Millions of workers and students have been told to stay home to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus as it sickens more and more people across the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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UNITED STATES – MARCH 18: An apartment building resident uses Post-it notes to send a message to their neighbors across the courtyard as most worker are working from home due to coronavirus precautions in Washington on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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A woman walks through an empty shopping area due to social distancing and store closings because of the outbreak of COVID-19, known as coronavirus, at Washington Union Station in Washington, DC, March 20, 2020. – Whole Foods, like several other retailers, is reserving some hours for customers 60 years and older to minimize contact with others as people social distance due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
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Customers wear face masks as a preventive measure against coronavirus, COVID-19, while shopping in a supermarket in Washington, DC on March 22, 2020. – Across the globe an estimated 900 million people are confined to their homes, according to an AFP tally. The majority are hemmed in by obligatory government lockdown orders while others are under curfew, in quarantine or following advice not to leave their homes. In the US more than a third of the population are adjusting to life in various phases of lockdown. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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Health officials walk with supplies from a screening area for international arrivals in the terminal at Dulles International airport in Dulles, Virginia on March 17, 2020. – The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak has transformed the US virtually overnight from a place of boundless consumerism to one suddenly constrained by nesting and social distancing.The crisis tests all retailers, leading to temporary store closures at companies like Apple and Nike, manic buying of food staples at supermarkets and big-box stores like Walmart even as many stores remain open for business — albeit in a weirdly anemic consumer environment. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
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A member of Jesus’ Church prays in the back seat of a car during a Sunday church service held at Great Marsh Park in Cambridge, Maryland, on March 22, 2020. – Pastor Abraham Lankford, who leads Jesus’ Church secured the site after concerns over the new coronavirus prompted orders from state government to limit gatherings to less than 10 people. Across the globe an estimated 900 million people are confined to their homes, according to an AFP tally. The majority are hemmed in by obligatory government lockdown orders while others are under curfew, in quarantine or following advice not to leave their homes. In the US more than a third of the population are adjusting to life in various phases of lockdown. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
A computer model shows the protein structure of a potential coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine at Novavax labs in Rockville, Maryland on March 20, 2020, one of the labs developing a vaccine for the corona virus, COVID-19. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
Three potential coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccines are kept in a tray at Novavax labs in Rockville, Maryland on March 20, 2020, one of the labs developing a vaccine for the coronavirus, COVID-19. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
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Medical personnel conduct doctor prescribed only drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 19, 2020. – Patients must first be evaluated and referred by care providers working in the LifeBridge Health Virtual Hospital. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
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Shoppers wear masks as they wait in line to get into Lowes Home and Garden Center in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2020. – The number of confirmed coronavirus, COVID-19, cases in the United States has topped 300,000 and there have been more than 8,100 deaths, Johns Hopkins University reported on Saturday. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
Most cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, only present mild symptoms. Older people, especially those with underlying health conditions, appear to be most at risk of more severe respiratory symptoms or pneumonia.
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