COVID-19 In Maryland: 1,244 New Cases Reported, Positivity Rate Rises To 5%

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland reported 1,244 new COVID-19 cases and 16 new deaths, according to state health department data released Tuesday morning.

The percentage of people testing positive rose to 5.04%, an increase of 0.28%.

It marks the first time in a week that the number of new confirmed cases in Maryland has eclipsed 1,000.

Hospitalizations increased by 42 to 663. Of those hospitalized, 486 adults are in acute care and 170 adults are in intensive care. Five children are in acute care and two are in intensive care.

Public health experts have said the new cases are driven by transmissible strains of COVID-19 that are targeting the unvaccinated. Back in August, Gov. Larry Hogan said the Delta variant, a strain that is said to be significantly more contagious than other strains, accounts for nearly every new confirmed case in Maryland.

"The vaccines are without a doubt our single most effective tool to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 and the surging Delta variant, and Maryland's vaccination rate continues to outpace the nation," Hogan said.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 586,143 total confirmed cases and 10,973 deaths.

There are 4,090,430 Marylanders fully vaccinated. The state has administered 9,355,607 doses. Of those, 4,284,046 are first doses with 5,862 administered in the past 24 hours. They have given out 3,770,283 second doses, 5,438 in the last day.

A total of 320,147 Marylanders have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 435 in the last day.

In November, Gov. Hogan announced that 99.9% of Maryland seniors have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this month, he said more than 50,000 children ages 5 to 11 have received a vaccination shot.

The governor said Monday that he does not anticipate spread of the new Omicron variant leading to any lockdowns in Maryland, but he encouraged residents to socially distance, wear masks in public and get vaccinated.

"Obviously you're much better off being fully immunized. If you haven't gotten your booster, you're at greater risk," he said.

In late September, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer's booster, Hogan authorized the booster shot for Marylanders who received their second Pfizer at least six months ago.

The state has administered 981,131 additional or booster vaccine doses, 13,464 in the last day.

The state reported 88.8% of all adults in Maryland have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES:

• Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
• Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
• Latest CDC Guidelines

Here's a breakdown of the numbers:

By County:

By Age Range and Gender:

By Race and Ethnicity:

In:
• COVID-19
• Omicron Variant
• Delta Variant
• Coronavirus
• Larry Hogan