County's COVID-19 Positivity, Case Rates Second-Lowest In MD

BETHESDA, MD — Montgomery County has the second-lowest seven-day positivity rate and case rate per 100,000 people in the state of Maryland, data released Friday showed.

The positivity rate measures the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive in a one-week span. The positivity rate in Maryland is 3.53 percent. In Montgomery County, it's 1.94 percent — down from 2.02 percent the day before. Kent County has the lowest seven-day positivity rate, with 1.76 percent.

Montgomery County's seven-day case rate per 100,000 residents — a metric officials use to determine community spread — sits at 4.75, according to public health data. The county with the lowest case rate in Maryland is Calvert with 4.17 per 100,000 residents.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich previously attributed the improvements to local officials, residents, and businesses taking a unified approach to the public health crisis.

"Guidance from our health experts, courage of @MoCoCouncilMD along with compliance from our residents/business is why we succeed. Thanks to all," the Democrat tweeted Thursday.

On Friday, Montgomery County registered 65 new coronavirus cases, as well as two new deaths associated with the virus. The latest additions push the county's cumulative totals to 70,154 infections and 1,481 fatalities.

The fatality count does not include the 46 others whose deaths were linked to the virus but never confirmed by a lab test. For now, they are considered "probable deaths."

Montgomery County — which is home to roughly 1 million people — continues to have the highest number of deaths in the state. It also has the second-highest number of confirmed cases, after Prince George's County, which has 83,714, according to the latest figures.

Across Maryland, there have been 452,035 cases, 8,642 confirmed deaths, and 191 "probable deaths." Of the 859 people currently being hospitalized statewide, 219 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

To date, Maryland has administered 5,096,442 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among those, 2,843,996 were first doses and 2,054,397 were second doses.

In Montgomery County, 578,690 residents (55.1 percent) have received their first dose. A total of 423,477 residents (40.3 percent) have already gotten their second and final shot.