State reports 291 newly confirmed cases, 7 more deaths

Maryland officials reported 291 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday and seven more deaths.

Sunday’s additions bring the state’s total to 69,632 cases of the COVID-19 illness caused by the coronavirus. Officials say 3,118 people have died due to the disease or complications from it.

As of Sunday, 409 people in Maryland are hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19, one fewer than Saturday. The statewide testing positivity rate is at 4.7% as of Sunday.

Although deaths are not always reported the day they occur, Sunday marked the tenth straight day the state reported fewer than 20 coronavirus-related deaths. Maryland had no such days from April 10 to June 6.

The state’s seven-day average positivity rate dipped to 4.7%, staying beneath 5% for a 10th straight day; the World Health Organization recommends a rate of 5% or lower for 14 straight days before governments begin easing virus-related restrictions, but Maryland has been following the less burdensome recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maryland has not seen the spikes in new cases some states have recorded in recent weeks as several have relaxed social distancing guidelines and business restrictions.

Florida reported a record for newly reported cases in a single day Saturday, with 11,458, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he does not plan to walk back the state’s reopening efforts.

While Maryland has yet to see the same increases as other states, the state’s Hispanic population continues to contract the disease at a disproportionately higher rate than other demographic groups. Hispanics accounted for more than a quarter of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, 18,568, despite the fact that they represent 10.4% of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This does not account for the fact that the state does not have demographic data on about one out of every six diagnosed cases.

The 20783 ZIP code — which includes parts of Hyattsville, Adelphi and Langley Park in Prince George’s County and is majority Hispanic, according to censusreporter.org — leads the state in total cases with 2,307 as of Sunday.

Black Maryland residents continue to lead the state in total COVID-19 cases, with 19,953 as of Sunday, despite the fact that they represent 30.9% of the state’s population. For comparison, state officials have confirmed 13,788 cases of COVID-19 among whites, who constitute 58.8% of Maryland’s population.

Prince George’s and Montgomery counties continue to lead the state in total cases, with 18,998 and 15,129, respectively. The two counties represent about half of all confirmed cases in the state.