COVID-19 In Maryland: 1,068 New Cases, 18 Deaths Reported As State Approaches 200K Booster Shots

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland reported 1,068 new COVID-19 cases and 18 new deaths, according to state health department data released Friday morning.

The percentage of people testing positive decreased slightly by 0.01% to 3.79%.

Doctors say the new cases are fueled by dangerous strains targeting the unvaccinated. During an August press conference, Gov. Larry Hogan said the Delta variant, a strain that is reportedly two to four times more contagious than the original virus strain, accounts for nearly every new confirmed case in Maryland.

"The vaccines are without a doubt our single most effective tool to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 and the surging Delta variant, and Maryland's vaccination rate continues to outpace the nation," Hogan said.

More than 3.9 million Maryland adults are fully vaccinated.

As of Thursday, hospitalizations decreased by 23 to 729. Of those hospitalized, 547 remain in acute care and 175 are in the ICU.

Since the pandemic began, there were 548,743 total confirmed cases and 10,450 deaths.

There are 3,955,454 Marylanders fully vaccinated. The state has administered 8,163,980 doses. Of those, 4,011,006 are first doses with 5,569 administered in the past 24 hours. They have given out 3,647,982 second doses, 5,850 in the last day.

"Thanks to the millions of people who have rolled up their sleeves, Maryland continues to be one of the most vaccinated states in America," said Governor Hogan of the 8 million milestone mark. "We have achieved these numbers with strong public health outreach, innovative lottery and scholarship promotions, and a relentless focus on equity."

The state began to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine again in April after the CDC and FDA lifted their pause on the vaccine due to a rare blood clot found in some women.

A total of 307,472 Marylanders have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 439 in the last day.

On September 24, after the CDC granted final approval for Pfizer's booster, Gov. Hogan announced the immediate authorization of the booster shot for Marylanders who have received their second Pfizer shot at least six months ago. Hogan had already approved use for vulnerable populations in early September.

The state has administered 197,520 additional or booster vaccine doses, 8,522 in the last day.

The state reported 84.9% of all adults in Maryland have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

In August, the state launched a post-vaccination infections dashboard that is updated every Wednesday. There have been 25,476 total cases among fully vaccinated Marylanders as of last Wednesday, October 13.

Less than 0.71% of fully vaccinated Marylanders have later tested positive.

Of those cases, 1,842 vaccinated Marylanders were hospitalized, representing 10.8% of all COVID cases hospitalized in the state. 233 fully vaccinated Marylanders have died, representing 8.36% of lab-confirmed COVID deaths in the state.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: 

• Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
• TIMELINE: Coronavirus In Maryland, Tracking The Spread And Vaccinations
• Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
• Latest CDC Guidelines

Here's a breakdown of the numbers:

By County

By Age Range and Gender

By Race and Ethnicity

In:
• Maryland
• COVID-19