Coronavirus Numbers Creep Upward As Business Capacity Expands

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Last week was busy for Anne Arundel. County Executive Steuart Pittman lifted capacity caps on local businesses. Plus, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health expanded its coronavirus vaccine eligibility to include residents aged 65 to 74.

Despite the progress, the health metrics are starting to slip in the wrong direction. This was the third straight week that new infections rose. Deaths, hospitalizations and the positivity rate are all up as well.

The increases are small, but they come after months of improving numbers. Crowds are slated to grow without capacity restrictions, so health officials will keep an eye on these spikes.

The occupancy expansions did not cause these tiny surges, however. Capacities increased last Friday, but it can take up to two weeks to see the real effects of deregulation, given the virus's 14-day incubation period.

Last week's 627 infections are up 14 from the week prior. It was the sixth straight week that Anne Arundel recorded less than 1,000 new cases. Before that, the county had clocked more than 1,ooo new infections per week for about three consecutive months.

The virus also killed seven county residents last week, which is one more than the week before, the Maryland Department of Health said. Here's a look at where the numbers stand in Anne Arundel County.

Full Vaccinations

• Currently: 11.51 percent
• Trend: N/A
• Rank: 17th out of the state's 24 jurisdictions
• Trend: N/A

The trends are not available this week because Maryland updated its vaccine data portal to include the recently-authorized Johnson & Johnson immunization. Patch will update the trends next week when we have a full seven days of data to look back on.

For more information on Anne Arundel County's vaccination plan, click here. To see when you'll be eligible for the inoculation, read Patch's explainer. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot.

Coronavirus Case Rate

• Currently: 15.46
• Trend: Up by 0.34
• Comments: This was the third straight week that new infections rose.
• Recent High: 16.62 on March 3
• Recent Low: 13.47 on Feb. 25
• Overall High: 64.99 on Jan. 12
• Overall Low: 3.53 on June 26, 2020

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 52
• Trend: Up by 11
• Comments: Last Wednesday's 52 hospitalizations were the most since Feb. 28. Hospitalizations then declined until Saturday, but they shot back up to 52 on Sunday.
• Recent High: 168 on Jan. 8
• Recent Low: 39 on March 8
• Overall High: 172 on April 21, 2020
• Overall Low: 21 on Sept. 21, 2020

ICU Hospitalizations

• Currently: 11
• Trend: Down by 3
• Comments: ICU hospitalizations have oscillated over the last three weeks, but they have not eclipsed 15 during this period.
• Recent High: 43 on Jan. 14
• Recent Low: 7 on Feb. 26
• Overall High: 49 on May 13, 2020
• Overall Low: 4 on Aug. 24, 2020

Positivity Rate

• Currently: 4.69 percent
• Trend: Up by 0.3 percentage points
• Highest/Lowest Since: After a months-long decline, the positivity rate has climbed for two straight weeks. The rate has been as high as 4.81 percent during that span.
• Recent High: 10.4 percent on Jan. 3
• Recent Low: 4.06 percent on Feb. 26
• Overall High: 28.16 percent on April 16, 2020
• Overall Low: 2.29 percent on Aug. 16, 2020

Total Cases And Deaths

Anne Arundel County's 37,012 coronavirus infections are the fifth most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 538 county residents.

Like what you're reading? Invite a friend to subscribe to free Annapolis newsletters and real-time email alerts.

RELATED:

• Anne Arundel Cracks 15 Percent Vaccination; Metrics Remain Pesky
• Coronavirus Vaccine: When You'll Be Eligible In Anne Arundel
• How To Get Coronavirus Vaccine In Anne Arundel County
• Vaccine Eligibility Expanded In Anne Arundel County
• Businesses Return To Full Capacity In Anne Arundel County

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.