Vaccines Rise, Cases Fall In Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Nearly 30 percent of Anne Arundel County residents are fully immunized. About 43 percent have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

After setting a seven-day inoculation record, the county saw a slight setback for the second straight week. This came as Anne Arundel paused all Johnson & Johnson shots after six reports of rare blood clots. One of those patients is dead, and another was in critical condition, CBS News wrote.

Maryland decided to resume the J&J vaccines over the weekend after they got federal clearance. The state mainly uses the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna immunizations, so the hiatus didn't derail the rollout, but the pace diminished slightly. Gov. Larry Hogan hopes to restore full capacity next month.

Anne Arundel endured another bump last Thursday when Fort Meade announced 800 mishandled inoculations.

On the flip side, the state passed 4 million doses administered and bolstered outreach efforts to vaccinate the remaining residents. The University System of Maryland also declared that it will require the immunization for most students and workers before the fall semester.

The inoculation progress helped Anne Arundel County Public Schools release plans for in-person graduation ceremonies. With infections declining, the Annapolis Maritime Museum reopened Saturday after more than a year off.

An Annapolis steakhouse also decided to reopen this month. Excited customers greeted the staff with a $500 welcome back tip.

Last week's 764 cases are down 133 from the week prior. It was the 12th straight week that Anne Arundel recorded less than 1,000 new infections. Before that, the county had clocked more than 1,000 new cases per week for about three consecutive months.

The virus also killed three county residents last week, which is six fewer 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: 29.54 percent
• Trend: Up by 3.61 percentage points
• Rank: 12th out of the state's 24 jurisdictions
• Trend: Improved by one slot
• Comments: This is the second straight week that new immunizations declined. The pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccines may have caused this drop. Maryland announced over the weekend that it will resume these shots, however.

All Marylanders 16 and up are now eligible for the inoculation. For more information on Anne Arundel County's vaccination plan, click here. 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: 42.92 percent
• Trend: Up by 3.33 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: 18.84
• Trend: Down by 3.28
• Comments: New cases declined for the second straight week. Before that, infections climbed for seven straight weeks. This is the lowest case rate since March 20.
• Recent High: 24.74 on April 14
• Recent Low: 13.47 on Feb. 25
• Overall High: 64.99 on Jan. 12
• Overall Low: 3.53 on June 26, 2020

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 61
• Trend: Down by 22
• Comments: Hospitalizations dropped for the second straight week. They have dipped by 25 in that span. This is the lowest total since April 2.
• Recent High: 99 on April 13
• Recent Low: 39 on March 8
• Overall High: 172 on April 21, 2020
• Overall Low: 21 on Sept. 21, 2020

ICU Hospitalizations

• Currently: 18
• Trend: Up by 3
• Comments: ICU hospitalizations increased for the third straight week. There were even more patients in the ICU on Tuesday when the total reached 22. That was the highest count since Feb. 8.
• 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: 5.73 percent
• Trend: Down by 1.02 percentage points
• Comments: The positivity rate declined for the second straight week. It was on a six-week hike before that. This is the lowest percent positivity since March 18.
• Recent High: 7.47 percent on April 8
• 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 42,150 coronavirus infections are the fifth most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 574 county residents.

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RELATED:

• Vaccine Reaches 25 Percent Of Anne Arundel As Cases Fall
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Anne Arundel County
• MD Sees Biggest Drop Of COVID Cases, J&J Vaccine Usage Resumes
• New Chesapeake Bay Exhibit Unveiled As Annapolis Museum Reopens
• 800 Mishandled Vaccine Doses Administered At Fort Meade
• Hogan Adds Vaccine Outreach; MD Passes 4M Doses

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.