COVID-19 Data Tracking Changes in Maryland and Virginia

The CDC will stop reporting its color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels as a way to track the spread of the infection, instead focusing on tracking hospitalizations and monitoring wastewater in some areas. The change in metrics is due to the expiration of the nation's public health emergency on May 11, which means health departments are no longer required to submit Covid-19 case numbers to the CDC. The new approach is similar to how the agency tracks other respiratory infections, such as the flu.