Though daily cases of COVID-19 were fairly constant in the D.C. area earlier in the summer, some counties are beginning to see their community levels of the infection rise.
Community levels are a metric used by the Centers for Disease Control based on new cases of COVID-19, hospital admissions and hospital beds used. Being aware of community levels helps residents know when it is time to take measures to protect themselves and help prevent further spread of the virus.
According to the most recent data, most of the suburban Maryland counties in our area have crossed the threshold into high COVID-19 community levels. Those include Montgomery, Prince Georges, Charles and Howard counties.
Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties remain at medium COVID-19 community levels, along with D.C., and Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria counties in Virginia.
Loudoun County in Virginia remains the only area county maintaining a low community level.
Here is a look at the COVID-19 community levels for counties around D.C. based on CDC data, which is uploaded weekly. The most recent data is from August 4.
Washington, D.C.
Level: Medium
Case rate per 100,000 population: 155.01
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 10.2
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.8%
Virginia
Arlington County
Level: Medium
Case rate per 100,000 population: 316.4
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 6.6
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 4.9%
Fairfax County
Level: Medium
Case rate per 100,000 population 206.36
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 6.6
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 4.9%
Loudoun County
Level: Low
Case rate per 100,000 population: 191.29
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 6.6
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 4.9%
Prince William County
Level: Medium
Case rate per 100,000 population: 237.28
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 3
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 3.9%
Maryland
Montgomery County
Level: High
Case rate per 100,000 population: 218.33
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 10.2
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.8%
Prince George’s County
Level: High
Case rate per 100,000 population: 238.31
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 10.2
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.8%
Howard County
Level: High
Case rate per 100,000 population: 201.42
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 11.9
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.7%
Charles County
Level: High
Case rate per 100,000 population: 229.7
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 10.2
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.8%
Anne Arundel County
Level: Medium
Case rate per 100,000 population: 164.18
New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000: 11.9
% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 5.7%
Deaths still remain a fraction of the peaks we saw in the area this past winter.
D.C. has been averaging around one death per day for the last week, while Maryland hovers around four deaths per day.
Virginia has seen a slight uptick to 19 deaths a day, but that is still a fraction of this year’s February peak of around 139 deaths a day.
