Stats & Stripes 2/7

• 2 – number of weeks until the next three-day weekend.

This week and next week will be five-day weeks, with school scheduled to continue from Monday to Friday. However, there will be no school on Monday, Feb. 21,due to Presidents’ Day. 

• 6 – number of Black History Month-themed home games Washington Wizards will play.

The themes for the games are Sports (Feb. 5); Television & Film (today); Service & Community (Feb. 10); Education & HBCUs (Feb. 12); Health, Tech, & Heart Heart Awareness (Feb. 14); and Music (Feb. 25). Other events the Wizards will be organizing include an Essay Contest and supporting Black-Owned DMV (an organization that supports Black-owned businesses).

• 12 – number of total federally commemorated holidays if Lunar New Year is considered.

Montgomery County Public Schools were closed on Feb. 1 due to a professional day for teachers. Coincidentally, that was the same day as Lunar New Year, a holiday that is celebrated by nearly 2 billion people all around the world. Rep. Grace Meng has proposed the concept of the holiday becoming a federal one, as a measure to acknowledge the holiday that is respected and valued by many East Asians.

• 35.2 – temperature of the Potomac River (in degrees F)

This is a new season-low for the DMV, which makes water main breaks more likely in our area. Unfortunately, around 40% of the water mains in our area’s water system are over 50 years old, putting thousands of local families at risk of having burst pipes or no water. In order to prevent these water disasters, WSSC recommends winterizing your home.

• 1,302 – number of wildfires that have burned in 2022 so far (1/1/22 – 2/1/22).

Approximately 25,691 acres have been burned due to these fires. Some of the states include Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas.

• 1,487 – number of COVID deaths in Maryland in January

State officials believe that last month was the deadliest month COVID-wise, even though cases have been decreasing recently. Though Maryland’s Omicron surge is ending, a new wave of cases may be headed for less-populous (and less-vaccinated) states, proving that the pandemic is far from over.