DC seven-day average of new coronavirus cases hit new record

Washington, D.C., has hit a new record for average coronavirus infections amid the ongoing surge in the metro area and across the country due to the omicron variant, according to The Washington Post. 

D.C. officials reported a daily seven-day average of 133 new virus infections per 100,000 on Tuesday, the highest rate its reached since the start of the pandemic. 

The city started seeing a record number of daily virus infections on Thursday, according to the Post. 

D.C. city council grant final approval on Tuesday to a bill that will require all district public schools to get vaccinated against the virus by next fall once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully authorizes a vaccine for their age group.

In addition, the state of Maryland, which borders the nation’s capital has seen a record number of daily cases. The Free State reported over 6,200 new cases on Tuesday, demolishing a previous one-day record of 3,758. The Post reported that the seven-day average of cases per 100,000 has doubled in one day from 40.28 Monday to 82.14 Tuesday. 

The latest surge in coronavirus cases comes amid the spread of the omicron variant, which public health experts say is highly transmissible. The variant, first discovered in South Africa has spread to dozens of countries all over the world, and has hit the U.S. hard. It has now overrun the delta variant as the dominant strain in the country.  

New York City in particular has seen daily case counts of up to 20,000 new infections per day. 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) last month lifted an indoor mask mandate for most public settings. However, amid the new surge in cases in the district, she said that she was mulling reinstating the measure. 

President Biden, addressed the nation on Tuesday about the omicron variant, urging Americans to get vaccinated and receive the booster shot. 

According to the Post, Virginia officials reported that the seven-day average of new cases per 100,00 in the state reached 41.88 on Tuesday, reaching levels not seen since September. 

Maryland officials also said the omicron variant has been found in 40 percent of samples in the state, while the delta variant remains the highest total for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, The Post noted. 

“We’re entering another pivotal moment in the fight against covid-19,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who tested positive for the novel virus, said Tuesday in a video briefing conference.