Marylanders Balance Thanksgiving Holiday With COVID-19 Safety Concerns
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Governor Larry Hogan offered a message of hope and thanks as Maryland struggles through a surge in cases of the coronavirus.
"While the way we celebrate Thanksgiving this year may be different, we still have so much to be thankful for," Hogan said in a prepared video statement.
Many spent time outside with sunny skies over Baltimore Thanksgiving afternoon.
The Maryland Department of Health recorded another 2,319 new infections and 29 new deaths Thursday. That is the sixth-highest number of new cases since the start of the pandemic.
The positivity rate is down slightly to 6.38 percent.
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State police have joined enforcement efforts of COVID restrictions across Maryland. Troopers reported making no arrests on the first night of increased patrols.
There is a fear family gatherings could lead to a significant rise in cases.
"The thing that I'm generally worried about right now is what happens as a result of the holidays and that could potentially be like a super spreader event in multiple different pockets across our state because multiple different people get together and then spread this virus even further so there is a chance that this could get significantly worse through December and January," said Dr. David Marcozzi of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).
A UMMS survey of 525 people between November 16th and 23rd found 44 percent of Marylanders are not changing or canceling their Thanksgiving plans because of COVID-19.
More than 4,000 people in Maryland have died since the pandemic began.
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.
