Montgomery Co. Sees Smallest One-Day Rise In Cases Since October

Rockville MD

16 February, 2021

3:12 PM

Description

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County has recorded its smallest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases since October, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland Department of Health. In the past 24 hours, the county reported 91 new coronavirus cases, pushing its total since March to 61,835. Its caseload hasn't been that low since Oct. 20, when there were 94 confirmed infections. The latest addition stands in stark contrast with figures released earlier this year — when the county was consistently recording at least 300 cases per day. The county reached its peak on Jan. 10, with 639 positive tests. As of Tuesday, the death toll remained unchanged at 1,337. The latest fatality count does not include the 45 others whose deaths were linked to the virus but never confirmed by a lab test. For now, they are considered "probable deaths." Across Maryland, there have been 372,221 coronavirus cases, 7,430 confirmed deaths, and 182 "probable deaths." Of the 1,110 patients being hospitalized for the disease statewide, 293 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As of Tuesday, Maryland was reporting a test positivity rate of 4.23 percent. In Montgomery County, the 14-day positivity rate sat at 4.3 percent. That's the lowest it has been since mid-November, data showed. By the county's standard, anything below 5 percent poses a low or very low risk of transmission, while everything above 10 percent translates to a high or very high transmission risk. The county is home to roughly 1 million residents. As of Tuesday, the jurisdiction has tested a little more than 58 percent of its population.