Anne Arundel adds 432 coronavirus cases
AnneArundel surpassed Frederick as the county with the worst rate of coronavirus spread among the eightMaryland jurisdictions with the most residents.
The county, home to more than 600,000 people, reported 63.4 infections per100,000 peopleMonday, ametric used to judge how widely the coronavirus is spreading among people living andworking here.
Anne Arundel County reported 432 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths Monday. Maryland reported 3,012 new cases and 29 new deaths.
Statewide data, updated through Sunday, shows the coronavirus is spreading in Anne Arundel County more widely than in two- thirds of otherMaryland jurisdictions.
Four weeks ago, County Executive Steuart Pittman announced an executive order further restricting public activity and barring all types of dining at restaurants and bars with the intention of reconsidering those strictures this week. Though he scaled back the initial order to resolve a lawsuit from restauranteurs, the administration is sticking with the initial plan to assess restrictions this week beforemaking any more drastic moves.
Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, the county health officer, said it’s hard to pin down what caused Anne Arundel to surge past other populous counties. But Anne Arundel started November with a relatively high case rate, making the holiday bumps worse than elsewhere.
Pittman’s executive order is one of the most restrictive in the state but does allow indoor dining at 25% capacity and outdoor dining with50% of tent flaps open aswell as some retail activity. Kalyanaraman, who advised in early December that all on- site dining should remain closed, said county residents need to restrict their public activity to push down the spiking case rate.
The total number of confirmed infections since March is now 28,202, and at least 388 Anne Arundel County residents have died. Fourteen others are suspected of having died of the virus but were never tested.
Across the state, at least 309,686 infections have been recorded sinceMarch, and at least 6,301Marylanders have died of the virus. Nearly 11% of tests for the virus in Anne Arundel County came back positive. The statewide positivity rate reported Monday is 8.56%.
The state reported 1,957 Maryland residents are hospitalized with COVID- 19, the highest daily hospital census since the pandemic began. About 1,510 of those patients require acute care beds, and another 447 are receiving more serious care.
In Anne Arundel County, hospitalizations continue rising. The county reported 162 patients hospitalized with COVID- 19onMonday. Thirty- sevenneeded intensive care.
Data from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health shows the current seven- day average for ICU hospital beds in use is 86.5%. The seven- day average for acute beds in use is about 82.4%. The data reflects hospital occupancy for Anne Arundel Medical Center and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical
Center, but it is a moving metric, as the hospitals can add or reduce capacity as needed.
Statewide, about 81% of inpatient beds are full, according to data from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Patients with or suspected to have COVID- 19 occupy about 22% of those beds.
The vaccination effort across the state is underway — more than 139,506 residents have received their first shot, and at least 6,666 residents have received their second shot, according to the Maryland Department ofHealth.
At least 71,178 people in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, including Anne Arundel County, have received a vaccination.
As of Monday, Maryland administered roughly 38% of its doses.
Anne Arundel County will host a town hall to address questions about the vaccine. Residents can submit questions to pittmantownhall@ aacounty. org and join the conversation Tuesday night at 6 p. m. on http:// facebook. com/ aacoexec.