Maryland Records 1,900 New COVID-19 Cases For The First Time Since February
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For the first time in three months, Maryland reported more than 1,900 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, according to the latest round of data provided by the state Department of Health.
Confirmed cases rose by 1,913 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total caseload to 1,039,776 since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That represents the largest single-day increase since Feb. 3 when the state reported 2,173 new infections.
The statewide positivity rate has risen to 6.05%, a 0.34% increase over the past 24 hours and a 323% increase compared to March 21 when the same rate bottomed out at 1.43%.
But while the number of new infections and percentage of people testing positive has climbed, hospitalizations and deaths have by and large remained flat in recent months, a sign experts say of COVID-19 reaching an endemic phase.
"It's very true that things are rising every day and probably more than the numbers reveal, because a lot of people are doing home testing, so that's all significant," Dr. Jonathan Thierman, chief medical officer for LifeBridge Health, told WJZ this week. "But the real numbers to follow at this point are hospitalizations and deaths, and those numbers remain very, very low."
There are 236 Marylanders hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of four since Thursday. Of those, 203 are adults in acute care and 27 are adults in intensive care, while four are children in acute care and two are children in intensive care.
A total of 14,221 people in Maryland have died as a result of COVID-19 since the pandemic began after the tally increased by four over the past 24 hours, according to health department data.
"This has truly become more like the flu or a cold as people had hoped it would be a few years ago," Dr. Thierman said Tuesday.
At least 95% of Maryland adults and 92% of children ages 5 and older have gotten at least one dose of a vaccine, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 4.6 million Marylanders are fully vaccinated.
The latest data comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has imposed new limits on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, citing the risk of severe blood clots, which have been seen in some of the shot's recipients. The FDA said only those who cannot receive another vaccine or who ask for the Johnson & Johnson shot should get it.
Maryland has administered 11,777,657 vaccine doses. Of those, 4,815,498 are first doses, 4,276,125 are second doses, 342,267 are the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine and 2,343,759 are booster shots.
