809 new cases, 8 deaths in state
CORONAVIRUS IN MARYLAND
At the end of a week that saw area students beginning the school year online, health officials on Saturday reported 809 new cases of the coronavirus and 8 additional deaths in Maryland.
Since March 18, more than 115,533 people have tested positive in Maryland for COVID-19 and 3,693 people have died from it, according to the state.
In Baltimore City, there have been 454 confirmed deaths and 18 deaths that were likely due to complications from the coronavirus.
There have been nearly 6.5 million confirmed cases of the virus and almost 200,000 deaths in the United States, according to numbers from the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource center. Of the nearly 1 million coronavirus related deaths worldwide, the U.S. accounts for more than 20%.
Well over 2 million tests have been administered in Maryland. State officials on Saturday reported a seven-day average testing positivity rate of 3.7%. The Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource center, which calculates positivity rates differently, reported a positivity rate of 6.3% for the past week in Maryland.
Hopkins uses the number of people tested, while the state’s figures are based on the number of tests administered. The Hopkins figure is consistently higher than the state’s. The World Health Organization recommends that governments wait until positivity rates are 5% or lower for at least two weeks before reopening.
Hopkins also has a higher overall death count for Maryland: 3,828.
The number of hospitalizations continues to plateau, with 361 listed Saturday. Of those hospitalized, 85 are in intensive care. That’s the lowest ICU count since March 27, when 76 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across Maryland.
It’s also far below the overall levels of hospitalizations reported in late April and May, when more than 1,700 people required acute or intensive level care. State officials have said reductions in hospitalizations are necessary for the lifting of coronavirus-related restrictions.
As Maryland enters the third and final stage of its reopening plan, Gov. Larry Hogan has permitted a resumption of many regular activities: for instance, movie theaters and live entertainment can operate at 50% capacity, or up to 100 people at indoor venues and 250 at outdoor venues if local officials agree.
Still, most area school systems have opted to hold classes exclusively online to prevent further spread of the virus, beginning a historic remote school year this past week.
Researchers have warned that new spikes in cases could accompany chillier fall weather. Other illnesses such as the common cold and flu typically decrease during warmer months, rising again in the fall. This could be due to the direct effects of heat on viruses and because fewer people congregate indoors.
SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS
ABC’s “This Week”: Jason Miller, left, adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign; Symone Sanders, adviser to Joe Biden’s campaign. 9 a.m., WMAR (Channel 2); 10 a.m., WJLA (Channel 7)
NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, left; former FBI agent Peter Strzok; Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of infectious disease research at the University of Minnesota. 10 a.m., WGAL (Channel 8) and WBAL (Channel 11); 10:30 a.m., WRC (Channel 4)
CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Gov. Kate Brown, D-Ore.; Sue Gordon, left, former principal deputy director of national intelligence; Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines; Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer. 10:30 a.m., WUSA (Channel 9), WJZ (Channel 13)
CNN’s “State of the Union”: White House economic adviser Peter Navarro; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla. 9 a.m., CNN
“Fox News Sunday”: Steve Cortes, adviser to President Donald Trump’s campaign; Jake Sullivan, adviser to Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s camp. 9 a.m., WTTG (Channel 5), WPMT (Channel 43) and WBFF (Channel 45); 2 p.m., FOX News Channel
“Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien”: Host Soledad O’Brien examines whether the Department of Justice defend a defamation case against President Trump at taxpayers’ expense. 11 a.m., WBAL (Channel 11)
“11 TV Hill with Jason Newton”: Host Jason Newton takes the show on-location to
M&T Bank Stadium for a preview of the Ravens 2020 season and speak with team officials about the change in fan experience this year. 11:30 a.m., WBAL (Channel 11)
“Square Off”: Moderator Richard Sher welcomes Ganesha Martin, John Lofton, Jr., Tyrone Keys and Chris Kennedy. Topics include: President Trump’s posts on social media that call Baltimore “the worst in the nation” as he tries to boost support for Kimberly Klacik; in Bob Woodward’s new book, he writes that the President played down the coronavirus pandemic early on to not cause panic; and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, says that no matter what Trump says or is written about him, his base remains committed to him. Available online at squareoff.net