The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) reached Prince George’s County in early March 2020. By the beginning of August, the County lost over 700 residents and had a total of over 23,000 known positive cases. The County has the highest number of cases in the whole state, with nearly 4,000 more cases than Montgomery County and more than double the cases in Baltimore County.

District 2 is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the County and region, with the 20783 zip code case count surpassing any area in the region. In fact, 5 of the 10 top zip codes with the highest number of cases per 100,000 residents are at least partially in District 2.

*Zip codes in bold are all or partially located in District 2. 

It is no accident that Prince George’s County and District 2 have borne the brunt of the pandemic. Economic and racial inequities have always translated into health disparities, which the pandemic has only accelerated. Nationally, African-Americans and Latinos have been three times as likely to contract COVID-19 and twice as likely to die from the virus, than whites. The higher death rate is due to higher rates of underlying conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease, among African-Americans and Latinos. The higher infection rates are a result of conditions like working essential jobs, living in overcrowded and/or multigenerational households, and relying on public transportation. Nationally, 45% of Black and Latino workers are in service or production industries, which generally cannot be shifted to telework; and Latinos are twice as likely to live in crowded housing than white Americans. These trends are even more pronounced in District 2.