Vaccine Rollout Improves, But Cases Continue Rise In Anne Arundel

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The numbers are rising in Anne Arundel County. The case rate and the positivity rate are the highest they have been since early February. Hospitalizations and deaths improved last week, however.

On the other hand, Anne Arundel is speeding up its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. The county improved its statewide immunization ranking this week. Nearly 28 percent of locals have gotten at least one shot, and almost 15 percent are fully vaccinated.

Maryland announced six upcoming mass vaccination sites last week. One of those locations will be in Anne Arundel.

County Executive Steuart Pittman suggested the clinic could open at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, but he stopped short of confirming the report. Anne Arundel County also expanded its immunization eligibility last week, opening the shot to residents 60 and up.

Last week's 872 infections are up 85 from the week prior. It was the eighth straight week that Anne Arundel recorded less than 1,000 new cases. Before that, the county had clocked more than 1,000 new infections per week for about three consecutive months.

The virus also killed four county residents last week, which is two less 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: 14.94 percent
• Trend: Up by 1.73 percentage points
• Rank: 16th out of the state's 24 jurisdictions
• Trend: Improved by one slot

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. Head to Patch's immunization page to keep up with Maryland's latest vaccine news.

At Least One Dose

• Currently: 27.81 percent
• Trend: Up by 3.84 percentage points

This is the percentage of residents who have gotten at least one dose of the inoculation. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines both require two shots. The Johnson & Johnson immunization only has one injection.

Coronavirus Case Rate

• Currently: 21.51
• Trend: Up by 2.1
• Comments: This was the fifth straight week that new infections rose. The case rate was even higher last Wednesday when it reached 21.97. That was the highest since Feb. 9.
• Recent High: 21.97 on March 24
• Recent Low: 13.47 on Feb. 25
• Overall High: 64.99 on Jan. 12
• Overall Low: 3.53 on June 26, 2020

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 51
• Trend: Down by 17
• Comments: Hospitalizations were on the rise for two straight weeks, but they declined this week, negating much of that 27-patient spike. Hospitalizations were even lower on Saturday when they dipped to 46.
• 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: 13
• Trend: Down by 1
• Comments: ICU hospitalizations have oscillated over the last four 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: 6.25 percent
• Trend: Up by .11 percentage points
• Comments: After a months-long decline, the positivity rate has climbed for four straight weeks. The percent positivity was even higher on Wednesday when it reached 6.62 percent. That was the highest since Feb. 8.
• 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 38,671 coronavirus infections are the fifth most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 548 county residents.

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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.