For the first time since March, the state of Maryland reported on Thursday zero deaths related to the coronavirus.
“This encouraging milestone is a tribute to the incredibly heroic efforts of our doctors, nurses, and health care workers on the front lines, and the courage and perseverance Marylanders have demonstrated in response to this unprecedented challenge,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. “We have lost more than 3,800 of our fellow Marylanders to this virus, and we mourn with their families. As we continue on our road to recovery, it is absolutely critical for all of us to remain vigilant.”
Maryland reported its first coronavirus-related death on March 19. The state peaked at 74 deaths on May 5. According to the Baltimore Sun, the 14-day moving average for new deaths is currently six.
In addition, Maryland entered October surpassing 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, adding 785 cases on Thursday, a spike from four consecutive days of fewer than 500 reported cases and the highest daily number since Sept. 12.
The jump in cases coincides with an increase in the state’s positivity rate seven-day average. Although the state’s average has been below 5%, the level the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends falling below before moving forward with reopening plans, since June 25, the positivity rate average has steadily climbed to 2.88% from a Sept. 24 low of 2.51%.
Hospitalization rates have remained relatively flat, excluding Sept. 20, when no hospitalizations were reported. The 12 hospitalizations reported on Thursday is the lowest number to date, according to data from the Baltimore Sun.
The outlet also reported that coronavirus tracing efforts have been impeded by people not answering their phones for fear of spam calls and phishing scams. In June, the Maryland Department of Health announced an ad campaign urging Marylanders to “‘answer the call’ when ‘MD COVID’ or ‘240-466-4488’ appears on their phones.”
To bolster the state’s testing capacity, Hogan bought 500,000 tests from South Korea in June. At the time, he said that the Trump administration “made it clear over and over again” that states “have to go out and do it ourselves.” However, with a price tag of $9 million, Maryland lawmakers have speculated about the effectiveness of the purchase. In July, Hogan announced that as many as 400,000 of the tests had been replaced, and it’s still unclear how many of the tests have actually been used.
Hogan is expected to hold a news conference on Thursday at 4 p.m. EDT to provide a state coronavirus update with Maryland Schools Superintendent Karen Salmon.
