Ocean City to reopen its beach and boardwalk as leaders confront restart decisions

Leaders in the greater Washington region wrestled with the uncertainties of reopening their economies Tuesday, balancing residents’ desires to resume a more normal life as summer approaches against the continued spread of coronavirus infections and deaths.

Mixed messages on the wisdom of continued closures emerged as the region’s death toll from the pandemic reached 2,367, with more than 52,000 known infections. A day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said he expects to ease some restrictions on nonessential businesses by mid-May, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) warned in television and radio interviews that it was too soon for District residents to begin letting down their guard.