A sign on Pratt Street in downtown Baltimore encourages people to avoid crowds, wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart in the interest of public health. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch)
MARYLAND — Deaths and hospitalizations related to the coronavirus are again trending up, the Maryland Department of Health reported Tuesday morning. In the past 10 days, about 100 people have been admitted to Maryland hospitals for treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, state data shows.
"We're cautiously watching those numbers," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in an interview Tuesday morning with Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a member of his COVID-19 task force who is the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.
"Our number of cases is slowly ratcheting up, but our positivity is actually not," Hogan said in a broadcast by D.C.'s American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank for which Gottlieb is a fellow. "Our positivity rate has been relatively flat," Hogan said.
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There are 79,545 cases of the virus statewide, an increase of 860 in the last day. As of Tuesday morning, the positivity rate in Maryland is 4.49 percent, data shows, down slightly from Monday.
"As soon as we start to see numbers that don't look good, it's going to cause us to take whatever actions are necessary," Hogan said, such as issuing a recent alert that people under 35 appear to be contracting the virus more than other age groups.
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While Maryland has not experienced the surges in sickness that neighboring states have seen, "That could change in a moment," said Hogan, who added: "It looks like that's a possibility."
Authorities report 484 patients in Maryland are hospitalized with the virus, an increase of 99 in the past 10 days. Since Friday, 50 people have been hospitalized with the virus, data shows.
"I'm very concerned about another shutdown and another flareup," Hogan said."My goal is to try to keep the economy safely open because the economic crisis is nearly as bad or just as bad as the health crisis."
“My goal is to try to keep the economy safely open, because the economic crisis is nearly as bad as or just as bad as the health crisis,” Hogan said Tuesday during an appearance on CSPAN”
Experts and health officials in Maryland told the Post they are worried about mask-wearing and social-distancing fatigue, especially among younger residents, and that out-of-state travelers could spread the infection.
While Hogan said the state would not close its borders, travel has been linked to recent infections.
"We’re seeing some activity at the beaches," Hogan said in the American Enterprise broadast, with people contracting the coronavirus at the Delaware and Maryland beaches. "We're seeing people come up from some of the southern states."
Said Hogan: "This virus doesn't recognize borders."
Those who have traveled out of state are encouraged to watch their symptoms and get tested upon their return. There are 230 sites statewide providing testing for COVID-19.
On Tuesday, officials said 3,272 people have died from COVID-19 statewide since the pandemic began, an increase of 20 deaths reported in the last day. That is the largest daily increase in reported deaths since June 25.
Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Hospitalizations, Deaths
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By JurisdictionCourtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Age And GenderCourtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Race And Ethnicity
Courtesy of Maryland Department of Health.
Symptoms Of Coronavirus
Contracting the coronavirus can result in mild to severe illness. Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart or lung disease, are the most at risk of complications from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These symptoms of coronavirus can appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Those who have trouble breathing, feel persistent pain or pressure in the chest, experience new confusion, have the inability to wake or stay awake or have bluish lips or face should get medical attention immediately, federal health officials say.
To prevent getting the illness, authorities advise staying away from those who are sick, keeping 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, washing hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and wearing a cloth face covering when around others.
