The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Montgomery County has increased 45% in the last week, according to Maryland Department of Health data.
In the last week, the county 1,079 confirmed cases, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 3,483 cases. There were 8% more cases on Saturday than on Friday.
The county also recorded 17 new deaths on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 152.
In addition, there have been 19 “probable” deaths in the county, which is when a person’s death certificate lists the virus as the cause of death, but the cause hasn’t been confirmed by a laboratory test.
Maryland’s total of COVID-19 cases rose to 17,766 on Saturday, a 7% increase from the previous day.
Statewide, 797 people have died and there have been 78 probable deaths.
There are 1,408 COVID-19 patients currently in the hospital across the state. Of those, 870 are in acute care and 538 are in intensive care.
There have been more than 3,700 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the state throughout the pandemic, and more than 1,100 patients have been released from isolation. More than 71,000 people have tested negative.
On Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan said the state’s economy could start to reopen next month, but it would depend on whether there was a decrease in hospitalizations and ICU visits.
Montgomery County, the state’s most populous county, has the second most confirmed cases of coronavirus in Maryland, after Prince George’s County, which has had 4,795 cases.
There have been 6,314 cases and 301 deaths among African Americans, the most of any racial group in the state. Among whites, there have been 4,020 cases and 296 deaths.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media
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To see a timeline of major coronavirus developments in Maryland and Montgomery County, click here.
