MD Breaks Daily Coronavirus Case Count, Test Records

MARYLAND — Maryland saw its greatest single-day increase in coronavirus cases, state health officials reported Friday. In the past 24 hours, the Maryland Department of Health said 3,792 cases were added to the state's tally.

The previous record daily increase was set Nov. 19, when state health officials reported 2,910 new cases. More than 209,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Maryland as of Friday, Dec. 4, officials say.

Prince George's County leads the state in cases, with 43,000, while Montgomery County has more than 35,000 positive test results, according to state health data.

An increase in cases coincides with a record as far as testing volume.

In the past day, the results of 55,912 coronavirus tests came in to the Maryland Department of Health.

The previous record was Nov. 21, when state health officials reported the results from 51,510 tests. In the early days of the pandemic, Gov. Larry Hogan said about 50 tests a day were conducted.

Spikes in new cases and tests come a little more than a week after Thanksgiving. Officials have urged people who traveled or gathered in large groups for the holiday to get tested for the virus.

"If your family traveled, you have to assume that you are exposed and you became infected and you really need to get tested in the next week," Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said on the CBS show "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Find a coronavirus testing site in Maryland.

"You need to avoid anyone in your family with co-morbidities" or those over age 65, Birx said to those who may have been exposed, as older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are at greatest risk of complications from the virus.

As of Friday, authorities say nearly 1,600 people are hospitalized in Maryland with the virus.

"We can expect to reach a new record high for hospitalizations in the coming days," Hogan said at a news conference Tuesday, when he announced Maryland was looking to prepare for the surge by filling 2,000 to 3,000 health care positions. In the past day, 21 additional patients have been admitted to Maryland hospitals for treatment of the virus, state officials said Friday.

The coronavirus primarily spreads from person-to-person contact, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding getting the virus by putting 6 feet of distance between one another to decrease the likelihood of its transmission as well as frequent hand-washing, staying home when sick and wearing a face covering when around other people.

Here is a look at Maryland's coronavirus data as of Friday, Dec. 4:

See Also:

• MD Will Get 155K Coronavirus Vaccines In 1st Wave, Hogan Explains
• Baltimore Mayor-Elect May Have Been Exposed To Coronavirus
• MD Needs 2K To 3K Health Care Workers For COVID Hospital Surge

This is a developing story and may be updated.