After nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, D.C. will change the way it reports coronavirus-related data, the city’s Department of Health said Wednesday.
Instead of reporting new COVID-19 figures daily, the city will publish data once a week on Wednesdays to fall in line with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on monitoring the level of COVID-19 in communities.
According to the new CDC metrics, D.C.’s current level of community spread is low.
The District will now report:
- A weekly case count
- Weekly COVID-19 hospital admission
- A percentage of COVID-19 positive people hospitalized
- A percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients.
Vaccination data will continue to be updated every Thursday.
D.C.’s Department of Health said in a release that these new metrics will direct future prevention efforts, like masking and testing, towards people who are at a higher risk for severe COVID; and focus on preventing hospitals and healthcare systems from being overwhelmed.
Health officials continue to urge people to be fully vaccinated and boosted. Here are four ways you can get the vaccine or a booster in the city:
- Visit a walk-up vaccine clinic or COVID Center.
- Make an at-home vaccination appointment by calling 1-855-363-0333.
- Make an appointment with your health care provider.
- Find other opportunities to get vaccinated by visiting vaccines.gov.
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Latest vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
