Covid-19

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 15

January 15, 2021 by John Griep Leave a Comment

Maryland added more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 45 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.3%, a decrease of 0.13 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 18 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 12 to 904, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 8.22%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 320,739, an increase of 2,924 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 45 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,322.

The Spy obtains information for this chart between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

* For Kent County deaths, The Spy reports its own tally based on the number of state-reported deaths within Kent County facilities and the number of non-facility deaths. For Queen Anne’s County deaths, The Spy reports the total deaths listed on the county’s website. There are discrepancies among state and county statistics concerning total deaths and facility deaths.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 5 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,848 people hospitalized — 1,427 in acute care and 421 in intensive care.

• Of the 54,416 test results received yesterday, 6.79% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,352,475 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,691,673 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 320,739 cases, 29,285 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,444 have been released from isolation.

More Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccines by Monday, Hogan Says

January 15, 2021 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Teachers, child-care workers, people 75 and older, and members of various high-risk groups will become eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced.

In expanding from Phase 1A into Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination campaign, an additional 860,000 people will be allowed access to the vaccine, according to the Maryland Department of Health’s website.

But Hogan, speaking at a news conference Thursday evening, cautioned that Maryland is currently using more doses each day than it is receiving from the federal government — and unless the flow increases soon, the state will run out.

“On Monday, Jan. 18, eligible groups will be expanded statewide to include all Marylanders 75 and over, as well as anyone of any age, living in assisted living or independent living facilities, and developmental disabilities and behavioral health group homes,” he said.

In addition to K-12 teachers, support staff and child-care providers, Phase 1B includes high-risk incarcerated individuals and elected officials.

Under state activation of Part B of the federal government’s contract with CVS and Walgreens, residents of assisted living and all other long-term care facilities will be able to get vaccinated by those pharmacies, Hogan said.

The state is setting up a new website, covidvax.maryland.gov, where people can get information about vaccination opportunities in their communities and sign up. Vaccinations will be by appointment only.

As of Thursday, Maryland had vaccinated 2.95 of every 100 residents, a rate below neighboring Delaware (3.18%), Pennsylvania (3.01%), D.C. (4.68%) and West Virginia (6.54%), according to a Bloomberg tracking site.

Maryland has used approximately a third of the 547,000 doses it has received. Only ten states and Puerto Rico have made use of a smaller percentage of its on-hand supply.

To help boost the state’s efforts, Hogan announced a pilot program at 10 Wal-Marts and 22 Giant supermarkets to administer vaccines beginning on Jan. 25.

Hogan said the state’s rollout has been hampered by logistical hurdles and a refusal by some nursing home residents and others to get vaccinated. He said that no doses will go to waste.

He and Rona Kramer, Maryland’s Secretary of Aging, stressed that the vaccines have been thoroughly vetted and are safe and effective. People with older relatives or friends were urged to help them locate a vaccination clinic in their area.

“There is no need for anyone in a long-term care facility to leave the facility in order to obtain the vaccine,” she said. “The vaccines will come to you through the CVS or Walgreens’ vaccination teams.”

Although Maryland is preparing to expand into Phase 1B of its vaccination campaign, efforts to reach people in Phase 1A — health-care workers, first responders, nursing home residents and staff, and others deemed at risk — will continue, Hogan said.

The state will continue to assist in any way possible, he added, and he again urged residents to be patient.

“The number of people just in Phase 1 of our plan is 1.5 million people, and they need two doses, so that’s three million doses,” he said. “This is going to take a long time, a great deal of patience and a lot more vaccines.”

By Bruce DePuyt

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 14

January 14, 2021 by John Griep 2 Comments

Maryland added more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 44 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.43%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 17 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 6 to 892, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 7.75%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 317,815, an increase of 2,948 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 44 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,277.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients decreased by 86 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,843 people hospitalized — 1,418 in acute care and 425 in intensive care.

• Of the 43,826 test results received yesterday, 8.24% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,298,178 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,679,345 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 317,815 cases, 29,123 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,443 have been released from isolation.

Promises to Work Together — But Also Glaring Differences — as Unprecedented Session Begins

January 14, 2021 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

On the first day of the Maryland General Assembly’s 442th session, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) and Democratic leaders of the legislature pledged to work collaboratively on shared priorities — economic relief for needy residents, boosting distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, and aid for struggling businesses chief among them.

But the outlines of differing policy preferences and timetables for action emerged even before lawmakers formally convened at midday Wednesday in Annapolis.

In a live-streamed Wednesday interview with The Daily Record, Hogan (R) urged the Assembly to take up his recently-unveiled $1 billion relief plan immediately. Moments later, the leaders of the state Senate and House of Delegates signaled they would spend at least the first couple weeks of the session crafting their own multi-pronged package.

Similarly, lawmakers said they intended to make good on a long-held pledge to override Hogan’s veto of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a bill to dramatically boost education spending, despite the governor’s assertion that doing so would be “one of the biggest mistakes” the legislature has ever made.

The promises to work together — and the early outlines of disagreement — occurred on an opening day like none in state history.

The Senate floor as seen from one of the galleries above. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines, Maryland Matters

The joviality that accompanies opening day sessions was gone. There were no squirming babies in the House or Senate chamber, fidgeting children hoping to escape fancy clothes, or spouses. There was no back-slapping and there were no receptions.

Forearm-grabbing lobbyists were almost nowhere to be seen, and the galleries were empty, except for a small number of socially-distanced journalists.

The hearty laugh and larger-than-life presence of Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., whose history-shaping 50-year run as a legislator ended in December, was also absent.

In the Senate, lawmakers sat at desks that had plexiglass partitions with swinging half-doors. Staff also sat in isolation booths that had been constructed over the interim. The proceedings were live-streamed to a public that was otherwise shut out of the State House.

Around State Circle, security was tighter than normal, a response to online threats of violence against state capitols in the wake of last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Newly re-elected Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), fighting back emotion, called this session “something very, very different.” But he said lawmakers have the potential to “change destiny.”

“Over the next 90 days, we have an unbelievable opportunity to truly change destiny,” he said. “It’s going to take very, very tough conversations. It’s going to take creative problem-solving, long hours, and working across the aisle in ways and spaces and formats that you have never used before.”

House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), like Ferguson, was reelected unanimously.

Before Jones spoke, House Majority Leader Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery) read the invocation on behalf of Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore City), who traditionally delivers the prayer on the opening day of the legislative session, but was one of more than 40 House members who did not attend the opening ceremony.

“Since we last met, some words have new meanings: ‘Zoom,’ ‘House annex,’ ‘virtual hearing,’” Luedtke read. “Some phrases have not changed: ’propose,’ ‘persuade,’ ‘count to 71,’ ‘the rule of law.’”

“Some issues have come to the forefront, like our commitment to racial and economic justice” Luedtke continued. “As we work together to address these and other challenges in the days ahead, may we remain committed to the people who sent us here to make policy on their behalf.”

Following her swearing-in, Jones thanked the chamber.

“I’m going to spare you of a speech, I just want to thank each and every one of you and we’ve got the people’s business to do, so let’s get started,” Jones said to applause.

The pandemic yielded some unusual seating arrangements in the House chamber: Del. Tony Bridges (D-Baltimore City) sat in a tall chair — no desk — in a back corner, while 14 of his colleagues were spaced out in the public gallery above.

A limited number of House lawmakers — enough for a quorum to start the session and make necessary rule changes — were on hand for opening day.

At one point during the short House floor session, a small group of Republican delegates assembled outside, wanting to take part in the proceedings. House aides arranged for them to come through the chamber in a single-file line and raise a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on the rule changes.

“We were told not to show up, but we were upset about that, so we wanted to be recognized that we were here to do our job,” Del. April Rose (R-Carroll) said.

The changes to the rules will allow roughly half of the House chamber to sit in an annex created in the House office building. The make-up of the seating arrangement was drawn by lottery and Republicans are present in both chambers at the same ratio.

While members in the annex will be able to vote on and debate measures on the floor in real time, via video, there will be something of a hierarchy in that auxiliary room, with Speaker Pro Tem Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Lower Shore) presiding and committee vice chairs sitting in the front row. Lawmakers who want to speak will not be able to do so from their desks, but will go to a protected area that looks a little like an old phone booth.

House Speaker Pro Tem Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Lower Shore) will preside over the “chamber annex” in the weeks ahead. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines, Maryland Matters

Even as dramatic measures are being taken to keep members safe and socially distanced as the coronavirus continues to rage, state officials are also mindful of the heightened security threat in Annapolis.

“The confluence of events in which we are operating – the pandemic, the threats on democracy, the health precautions that we have to take – it doesn’t feel like anything I ever imagined,” Ferguson told reporters virtually after the first floor session had ended.

Hogan, who faulted federal security officials for a “terrible lack of preparation” in the lead-up to last week’s riot in Washington, D.C., said “we’re taking every precaution we can to make sure that that does not happen here in our State House.”

“While we’re not expecting that kind of a situation, we’re prepared for whatever eventuality might come up, and we’re going to try to keep people safe,” Hogan said during The Daily Record’s “Eye on Annapolis” Summit, which is held annually on the first day of session. “We’re going to keep everybody from causing any trouble.”

Dueling relief plans

Hogan’s $1 billion relief plan would use a mix of targeted tax cuts and taps a portion of the state’s rainy day fund to aid struggling families and small businesses. It would offer stimulus checks to Marylanders who qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2019 or 2020. The payouts would amount to $450 for individuals and $750 for families, with no application needed.

Hogan’s stimulus package would provide $180 million in tax relief for unemployed residents by repealing all state and local income taxes on unemployment benefits. It would also allow small businesses to keep up to $12,000 in sales tax over the next four months, amounting to $300 million statewide.

Legislative leaders have yet to release their full relief plans, but they have signaled that they are looking for more robust spending, and also want to help renters on the verge of eviction, homeowners on the verge of foreclosure, and Marylanders struggling to pay their utility bills.

They have also committed to enact police reform, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants and repeal the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.

In the wake of the ongoing public health, governmental, social justice and economic crises the state and nation are facing, the governor said “our normal big legislative package has been slimmed down to a very focused agenda.”

“Our most important piece of legislation is the relief act,” he added. “That’s really the only thing I care about, frankly. … If the legislature passed the budget, passed some relief, I’d call it a huge success and call it a day.”

Jones and Ferguson said they had not seen Hogan’s proposal, and they shrugged off his request to pass it on opening day. “We have a relief package and we’re going to prioritize that,” the speaker said.

“Marylanders are hurting in ways that are unimaginable,” Ferguson added. “We all share the urgency to make sure that we help the most vulnerable Marylanders to be able to get through this crisis.”

The Senate leader said proposals to improve the state’s beleaguered unemployment insurance system would be part of the legislature’s recovery package.

Lawmakers prepare to override Hogan veto

Legislative leaders are determined to override Hogan’s veto of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a measure to pump an additional $4 billion into the state’s public schools system, partially funded by a new tax on digital downloads.

In his morning interview, Hogan acknowledged that the Democratic-led Assembly has the numbers to overturn him — but he warned that doing so would fly in the face of public opinion.

“The legislature does have the power to override those vetoes, [but] I think it would be one of the biggest mistakes they ever made,” Hogan said.

“We have provided record funding into education six years in a row,” Hogan said, “and our budget [for next year] is going to put more money than the legislative formulas call for.”

Supporters of the education legislation made their presence felt in Annapolis Wednesday with a small rally featuring 20 cardboard cutouts of Maryland public school students.

The groups Progressive Maryland and Working Families sent a billboard truck to downtown Annapolis to rally for more funding for COVID-19 relief efforts. The truck carried videotaped messages of Marylanders who have seen their livelihoods jeopardized by the pandemic.

With restaurants, hotels and stores largely quiet, the truck playing the video messages was one of the few overt signs that the General Assembly is back in session for the first time since lawmakers cut short the 2020 session last March.

“It looks like a ghost town here in Annapolis,” Hogan said.

By Bruce DePuyt, Danielle E. Gaines, Josh Kurtz, Hannah Gaskill, and Bennett Leckrone

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 13

January 13, 2021 by John Griep Leave a Comment

Maryland added more than 2,500 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 37 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.53%, a decrease of 0.24 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 16 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 9 to 886, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 7.52%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 314,867, an increase of 2,516 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 37 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,233.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients decreased by 23 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,929 people hospitalized — 1,475 in acute care and 454 in intensive care.

• Of the 34,334 test results received yesterday, 8.84% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,254,353 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,667,562 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 314,867 cases, 28,986 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,439 have been released from isolation.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 12

January 12, 2021 by John Griep 1 Comment

Maryland added more than 2,600 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 67 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.77%, an increase of 0.21 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 15 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 7 to 877, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 6.63%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 312,351, an increase of 2,665 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 67 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,196.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 12 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,952 people hospitalized — 1,496 in acute care and 456 in intensive care.

• Of the 31,330 test results received yesterday, 11.17% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,220,019 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,658,742 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 312,351 cases, 28,860 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,434 have been released from isolation.

Hogan Proposes $1 Billion Relief Package, Pressures Legislature for Swift Passage

January 11, 2021 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) unveiled a proposed billion-dollar stimulus package at a Monday morning press conference, which would give low-income families $750 checks if passed by the legislature.

If enacted, Hogan’s Recovery for the Economy, Livelihoods, Industries, Entrepreneurs and Families (RELIEF) Act would offer stimulus checks to Marylanders who qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2019 or 2020. The payouts would amount to $450 for individuals and $750 for families, with no application needed.

Hogan estimated that the $267 million in direct payments would help roughly 400,000 Marylanders. The stimulus checks would be in addition to anticipated payouts from the federal government.

Hogan said he needs the legislature’s help in passing some of the RELIEF Act’s measures, which extend beyond his emergency powers – and demanded that lawmakers quickly pass the emergency legislation.

“We took every action that we could take alone,” Hogan said.

The stimulus package provides $180 million in tax relief for unemployed residents by repealing all state and local income taxes on unemployment benefits. It would also allow small businesses to keep up to $12,000 in sales tax over the next four months, amounting to $300 million statewide.

Hogan also wants the legislature to extend and codify his executive order protecting businesses from sudden increases in unemployment taxes due to layoffs, amounting to $218 million in savings. The act would also eliminate taxes on the state’s emergency relief grants and loans for businesses.

Only about $100 million of Maryland’s rainy day funds would be be used as part of the relief package – a far cry from what other state officials and local leaders have demanded of Hogan.

Members of the Maryland United for COVID Relief NOW Coalition, headed by Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) and Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker (D), held a virtual rally on Sunday to demand Hogan use more of the rainy day fund for COVID-19 relief.

Franchot has floated using a much larger portion of state reserve money for $2,000 stimulus checks to qualifying Marylanders at a cost of $925 million. He also wants to use state money for more local business aid, and in total proposed using more than a billion in state reserves for residents and businesses.

In a Monday statement on social media, Franchot said Hogan’s proposed stimulus doesn’t go far enough to help working residents. He also said the proposed checks won’t get to families fast enough.

“Maryland families need help now, but instead the Governor is passing the buck to the legislature,” Franchot wrote. “The Governor knows that he has the power to authorize direct cash payments to those in crisis right now. He can help struggling families right NOW.”

Hogan’s plans for a new state stimulus bill predate the coalition’s formation. He said using the state’s entire rainy-day fund would be an “irresponsible action,” and said he was following along with the legislature’s recommendations in using only portions of the state’s reserve money.

In December, a bipartisan legislative budget panel recommended using some of the state’s rainy day fund to combat anticipated shortfalls in the state’s budget.

Hogan noted that more federal relief funding is on its way to the state, including $400 million for much-needed rental assistance. The state has already spent more than $700 million in relief for residents and businesses, and doled out billions in unemployment benefits to Marylanders, Hogan said.

Whether the legislature moves quickly to act on Hogan’s proposal — or sees it as an opening gambit — is an open question. Legislative leaders have echoed Hogan’s assertion that providing help to the neediest Marylanders should be the top priority of the session, which begins on Wednesday, but they have yet to release details of their own economic relief package.

In a statement released after Hogan’s news conference, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) said Democrats in the legislature are “focused on getting families and small businesses back on their feet” in addition to getting students back in schools and ensuring the safety of seniors. The presiding officers said General Assembly members are planning legislation to address “a broken Unemployment Insurance system” and aid small businesses.

“We look forward to the Governor working with us to accomplish these goals and demonstrating for the country what the true value of bipartisanship can be,” Jones and Ferguson said.

Sen. Guy J. Guzzone (D-Howard County), the chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, called Hogan’s proposed stimulus a “good place for us to start” when it comes to getting relief to Marylanders.

Guzzone said he doesn’t think draining the state’s rainy day fund is in the best interest of the state, and added that Marylanders could still get meaningful relief without using all of the reserves.

“I actually don’t think it’s necessary, to provide substantial relief, to drain it all the way down in that regard,” Guzzone said.

He noted that many of the legislature’s relief efforts will depend on Hogan’s budget proposal, which is due later this month.

By Bennett Leckrone

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 11

January 11, 2021 by John Griep 1 Comment

Maryland added more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 29 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.56%, a drop of 0.17 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 14 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 18 to 870, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 6.64%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 309,686, an increase of 3,012 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 29 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,129.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 7 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,957 people hospitalized — 1,510 in acute care and 447 in intensive care.

• Of the 43,528 test results received yesterday, 8.11% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,188,765 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,649,578 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 309,686 cases, 28,731 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,431 have been released from isolation.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 10

January 10, 2021 by John Griep 2 Comments

Maryland added more than 3,300 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.73%. The rate has been above 8% for 13 days.

Key points for today

• Talbot County COVID-19 cases increased by 29 to 1,578, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 9.65%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 306,674, an increase of 3,310 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 25 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,100.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 73 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,950 people hospitalized — 1,465 in acute care and 485 in intensive care.

• Of the 60,105 test results received yesterday, 6.81% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Additional information

• A total of 6,145,245 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,636,065 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 306,674 cases, 28,523 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,427 have been released from isolation.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 8

January 8, 2021 by John Griep Leave a Comment

Maryland added more than 3,700 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 9.16%. The rate has been above 9% for six days and above 8% for 11 days.

Key points for today

• Kent County COVID-19 cases increased by 11 to 822, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.94%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 299,606, an increase of 3,732 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 43 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,047.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 51 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,885 people hospitalized — 1,438 in acute care and 447 in intensive care.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Hospital capacity

The graph below shows the number of COVID-19 and other patients hospitalized each day. The red line marks 85% percent of staffed beds statewide; Maryland hospitals have been near or above 85% capacity for several weeks.

Additional information

• A total of 6,029,482 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,608,591 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 299,606 cases, 28,068 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,419 have been released from isolation.

The graph below shows the average positivity rate for the five Mid-Shore counties.

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