Maryland Reaches Goal Of 10K COVID-19 Tests Conducted Per Day; Rate Of Positive Results Drops By More Than Half, Hogan Says
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- As the number of coronavirus cases and tests in Maryland continues to grow, the rate of people testing positive for the virus has dropped by more than half, Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday.
At a news conference Wednesday evening, Hogan said the positivity rate, which he called a key metric other states and the CDC are using to track containment efforts, has dropped significantly.
"In Maryland, our statewide positivity rate peaked 41 days ago on April 17 when it reached 26.91 percent," Hogan said. "Since then, it has dropped by more than 50 percent down to just 12.8 percent statewide."
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The rate in Baltimore dropped 54 percent from 27.38 on April 19 to 12.71 percent Wednesday, while neighboring Baltimore County's rate is nearly equal.
Both are below the state average, the governor said.
The state has also reached its goal of conducting 10,000 coronavirus tests per day, Hogan said. In total, the state has conducted more than 300,000 tests.
As of Wednesday, the state's health department reported 48,423 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, 300,444 people have tested negative for the virus, an increase of 10,556 from Tuesday.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.