Coronavirus Positivity Rate In Worcester County, Including Ocean City, Nearly Double State Rate, Data Shows
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- The coronavirus positivity rate fell in Worcester County but remains nearly double that of Maryland as a whole as visitors flocked to Ocean City's beaches over the Labor Day weekend.
The latest numbers from the state's health department, reported Monday for data through Sunday, puts the county's seven-day average positivity rate at seven percent. Maryland as a whole sits at 3.84 percent.
On September 1, the county's positivity rate was 8.39 percent, the highest it had been since May 31. Since the pandemic began, Worcester County has reported 887 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths.
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Ahead of the holiday weekend, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan urged visitors to follow public health rules.
"We just ask that they continue to follow our restrictions," Meehan said. "We have a mask mandate on the boardwalk between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. and we hope that people will assist us and cooperate doing that."
That mandate had been set to expire on August 31 but has since been extended.
Officials also tried to combat the spread of the virus over Labor Day weekend by providing free testing at the Ocean City Convention Center on both Friday and Saturday and also giving our free face masks.
Worcester County, along with the majority of the state, moved into the third phase of the state's reopening process on Friday evening, just in time for the holiday weekend.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
