Note to readers in DC/VA/MD

The whole US capital region is pretty clearly in a COVID surge. Virginia seems to have the most reliable covid reporting, so use that as your guide to rates all over. DC is reporting only sporadically to CDC so their numbers are no longer reliable. I don’t have any solid contacts in MD so I have no opinion on their numbers but I do know VA people and Virginia numbers seem accurate.

In general, though, remember that home testing means all official numbers are too low now. They represent trends, not actual cases.

If you’ve been relaxing on your mask use, giving in to peer pressure, or dining indoors, now is the time to stop. Go back to the strictest measures you can comfortably take.

Finally, here is a depressing article on DC’s COVID data fiasco: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/3513127-covid-data-lapses-are-just-one-symptom-of-our-ailing-public-health-system/