COVID-19 In Maryland: Hospitalizations Surpass 2,700
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland's COVID-19 hospitalizations set a new record Monday as they topped 2,700, according to the latest data released by the state Department of Health.
The percentage of people testing positive rose to 26.87%, a 0.78% increase.
Health department data show that cases went up by 14,251, bringing the total of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 751,450 since the outset of the pandemic.
Deaths resulting from COVID-19 now stand at 11,658 after increasing by 26 over the past 24 hours.
Hospitalizations increased 196 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,746. Of those hospitalized, 2,250 are adults in acute care and another 453 are adults in the ICU. There are 36 children in acute care and seven more in the ICU.
The surge in hospitalizations comes as several hospitals have shifted to crisis standards of care to keep up with demand—and as the Maryland Hospital Association calls for the state to issue a limited public health emergency.
With healthcare workers stretched thin, the state has already established a surge operations center to help hospitals manage bed space and pledged $100 million to help hospitals and nursing homes deal with staffing shortages.
In an interview Sunday, Gov. Larry Hogan told CNN that officials are exploring every option at their disposal to shore up the medical workforce and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.
"We've been talking about this problem for nearly a month and preparing for it, but you can't really manufacture doctors and nurses that don't exist," Hogan said in part.
The state has also expanded its testing operation, recently launching two new testing sites in Anne Arundel and Harford counties, which operate seven days a week.
On Monday, the governor's office announced that face coverings will now be required of employees and visitors in all state facilities. The state now also offers paid leave for booster shots.
There are 4,268,564 Marylanders fully vaccinated and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 91.9% of the state's adults have gotten at least one dose.
The state has administered 10,384,772 doses of the vaccine. Of those, 4,486,162 are first doses, 1,644 of them in the past 24 hours. Another 3,940,839 are second doses, 1,098 of them in the last day. The state has administered 1,630,046 booster doses, 3,510 in the past 24 hours.
A total of 327,725 Marylanders have gotten the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 40 over the last 24 hours.
While the state has not issued any new restrictions, several counties—Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Frederick—have issued indoor mask mandates to curb the spread of COVID-19.