As a backlog in coronavirus tests from March clears up, Maryland’s number of coronavirus cases jumped 26% in a day, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.
The state and the county had similar increases. The number of Montgomery County cases rose from 871 as of Tuesday to 1,088 as of Wednesday, or 25%.
Statewide, the increase was 4,371 cases as of Wednesday to 5,529 as of Thursday.
The new number for Montgomery County is 143% higher than it was one week earlier.
There are now 26 coronavirus deaths Montgomery County, up five from Tuesday..
Hogan posted on Twitter that the jump in cases was because of an increase in new infections and the ramping up of testing across the state, with more private labs starting testing and commercial lab capacity expansion.
“Today’s numbers reflect a tripling of the test reported since yesterday,” Hogan posted in a tweet. “We are seeing commercial labs begin to clear their backlog of tests. More than 30% of the new cases reported today are for testing that was completed in March.”
There are now 124 reported deaths in the state, an increase of 21 deaths overnight.
Montgomery County has the second highest number of cases in the state behind Prince George’s County, with 1,310 cases. Somerset and Dorchester counties have the fewest cases, with four each.
In the state, there have been 1,210 hospitalizations, 365 people released from isolation, and 32,933 negative test results.
More cases continue to be found in women in Maryland, with 2,955. Men account for 2,574 cases.
The majority of the cases — 1,135 — are found in people between the ages of 50 and 59. There are 27 cases reported in children 9 years old or younger.
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media.
