COVID-19 In Maryland: Positivity Rate Falls Below 6%; 95% Of Adults Have Received At Least 1 Vaccine Dose
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The positivity rate in Maryland dipped below 6% for the first time in two months, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland Department of Health.
The seven-day positivity rate statewide has dipped to 5.81%, a 0.31% decrease since Monday. It was last below 6% on Dec. 7, when 5.76% of test results were coming back positive.
At the peak of the Omicron-driven surge in COVID-19 cases, the positivity rate was 29.98% on Jan. 5.
Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday lauded a vaccine milestone: 95% of Maryland adults age 18 and over have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. When you factor in children age 5 and older, 89.4% of the population has gotten at least one shot.
"As we achieve another incredible vaccine milestone, I want to thank all the healthcare heroes we honor this week who have made this possible," said Hogan. "While we will continue to work to reach that last 5% of adults, we are just as focused on getting more Marylanders boosted to maximize protection against the virus and its variants."
Maryland added 738 more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases statewide to 966,066 since the pandemic began.
With hospitalizations decreasing by 42, the number of COVID-19 patients in Maryland hospitals stands at 1,111.
The statewide death toll rose by 42 in the last day, bringing the tally to 13,528 since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hogan has proclaimed this week Healthcare Heroes Appreciation Week and is asking Marylanders to show their gratitude for frontline healthcare workers' tireless efforts throughout the pandemic.
Maryland recently emerged from a 30-day state of emergency issued by Hogan in response to elevated hospitalizations and infections that pushed many hospitals to capacity levels.
Over the past few weeks, Hogan also issued executive orders aimed at shoring up workforces in nursing homes, hospitals and emergency medical services.
Despite these efforts, the Maryland Hospital Association has said that hospitals continue to struggle with staffing issues. That includes roughly 3,900 nursing vacancies, a 50% increase since late August.
Of those currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Maryland, 881 are adults in acute care and 212 are adults in intensive care. Fifteen children are in acute care and three more are in the ICU, state data show.
There are 4,418,722 Marylanders fully vaccinated and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state has administered 11,149,455 million doses of the vaccine.
Of those, 4,654,648 are first doses, 2,462 in the last 24 hours. Another 4,085,827 are second doses, 4,002 in the past day. A total of 332,895 Marylanders have gotten the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 83 in the past day.
The state has administered 2,076,085 boosters, 6,056 in the past 24 hours.
