FOX 5 digs into the science behind coronavirus restrictions
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - In the last 24 hours, several school districts across our area, including in Maryland and Northern Virginia, have said ultimately they want distance learning to continue this fall.
Plus, Maryland and Virginia are now on New York state’s quarantine list.
READ MORE: Virus concerns nudge some teachers toward classroom exits
The science behind it all can be overwhelming, but for the most part, researchers say decisions are being driven by rising coronavirus case numbers.
FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis talked with researchers at the University of Maryland.
They point out that COVID-19 cases nationwide are up 15 percent in the last week alone but the jumps in the DMV are even larger.
Maryland with a 51 percent increase and, in Virginia, a 40 percent increase in cases during the same time period.
READ MORE: Here's what DC, Maryland and Virginia school districts have planned for the fall
That combined with the percent of positive cases rising, up to nearly 8 percent in Virginia plus folks in our area traveling more than residents in any other area could be factors leading to those distance learning school decisions and travel restrictions.
“The percentage of out of state trips has increased ten percent in the last month nationwide,” said Aref Darzi, a Research Associate at The University of Maryland.
Research associate Aref Darzi says the Washington, D.C. area has the highest rate of out-of-state trips in the nation – more than 40 percent of all trips crossed state borders.
Maryland and Virginia are ranked 8th and 22nd, respectively.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
The more people travel, the more they can potentially be exposed to the coronavirus which means the more health leaders are anticipating more cases, causing education leaders to opt to continue distance learning and even prompting New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to add Maryland and Virginia to its list of mandatory quarantine list.
Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, Director of Health for Fairfax County says there’s no one metric that’s a determining factor for schools.
Education leaders say the surge typically comes 4-6 weeks after the data which would place an uptick around the time school starts.
Regarding travel, it’s likely that as long as the numbers increase so will restrictions.