Maryland adds 1,985 cases and 28 deaths

Experts brace for possible spike following holidays

Maryland health officials reported 1,985 new coronavirus cases and 28 more deaths linked to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, on the final Monday of the year.

The state has seen record numbers of new cases this month, and experts are bracing for a possible spike following the holidays. But officials are buoyed by the recent debut of COVID-19 vaccinations. Another 994 people in Maryland have been vaccinated in the past 24 hours, officials said.

Officials hope the vaccine will help lower persistently high hospitalization rates this month. No fewer than 1,500 COVID-19 patients have been in the hospital on any day in December, and the number of hospitalizations increased for the third straight day to 1,738, according to state officials.

A total of 5,573 people have died from COVID-19 in Maryland since March, and at least 269,183 have been infected, according to the state.

In the first phase of Maryland’s vaccine distribution, nearly 20,000 front-line health care workers, first responders and long-term facility residents and staff have received their first dose.

The state has acquired nearly 200,000 doses of the vaccine from pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer. Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities will receive doses through a federal pharmacy partnership with CVS and Walgreens.

The state’s 7- day positivity rate has reached 7.42%, according to the Maryland health department. The rate, which surpassed 8% earlier this month, has not dipped below 7% since Nov. 29.

The coronavirus is deadliest to people over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions. Of those who have died from COVID-19, nearly 88% have been older than 60, according to the state.

But older people are far from the only ones contracting the virus in Maryland. Nearly a third of the new cases as of Monday were among patients in their 20s and 30s, according to state data.

Black and Latino people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Latinos make up more than 17% of the total cases, according to state data, despite accounting for only about 10% of Maryland’s population. Blacks make up 37% of the state’s deaths, despite being just 30% of the population.

Washington County in Western Maryland has the highest positivity in the state at 19.96%, followed by Somerset County on the Eastern Shore at 12.15% and then Garret County, 11.82%.

Prince George’s County’s positivity rate is 9.24%, according to state data. The positivity rate was 5.67% in Baltimore City and 5.87% in Baltimore County as of Sunday, both down from earlier this month.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott at a news conference Monday afternoon touted the city’s efforts in bringing down the number of new daily coronavirus cases while also doubling down on a warning ahead of the New Year’s Eve holiday.

He said 628 people have been killed by COVID-19 in Baltimore and city hospitals remain near full capacity, with intensive-care units at 85% and acute-care units at 82%.

The Democrat ordered both indoor and outdoor dining halted on his first day in the job earlier this month.

“We are nowhere near out of the woods,” Scott said Monday. “Our parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends and family continue to contract and die from this deadly virus. We know there are people out there with COVID-19 who aren’t showing any symptoms that are putting people they know and love and others at risk.”

Scott thanked those Baltimoreans who followed experts’ guidance and canceled their usual get-togethers with family and friends over the Christmas weekend.

“It wasn’t easy to make these adjustments — we all know that — but it was extremely necessary and lifesaving,” Scott said. “With NewYear’s Eve coming up, it is imperative we continue to do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 to keep our community safe, so that we can start fresh in 2021.”

Anne Arundel County’s positivity rate reached 8.63% as of Sunday, according to the state.

The World Health Organization recommends positivity rates below 5% before governments ease coronavirus-related restrictions.