Coronavirus Numbers Ease Up As Business Capacity Expands

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County is starting to gain control over its coronavirus outbreak. The county registered fewer than 1,000 new cases for the first time since last October, and hospitalizations have fallen to their lowest rates since November.

Recognizing this progress, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, eased restrictions and let businesses expand to half capacity. Gov. Larry Hogan also announced that Maryland will quadruple the coronavirus vaccines reserved for Prince Georgians at the Six Flags America mass immunization site.

The county still ranks last in immunization rollout, however. The metrics also have a long way to go before the pandemic is over.

Last week's 975 infections are down 64 from the week prior. The virus also killed 11 county residents last week, which is one fewer than the week before, the Maryland Department of Health said. Here's a look at where the numbers stand in Prince George's County.

Full Vaccinations

• Currently: 6.4 percent
• Trend: N/A
• Rank: 24th 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 Prince George'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: 15.32
• Trend: Down by 1.0
• Comments: This is the lowest case rate since Oct. 30, 2020.
• Recent High: 58.83 on Jan. 14
• Recent Low: 15.32 on Sunday
• Overall High: 58.83 on Jan. 14
• Overall Low: 7.57 on July 2, 2020

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 101
• Trend: Down by 11
• Comments: Hospitalizations declined for the 10th straight week. This is the lowest total since the week of Nov. 8, 2020.
• Recent High: 217 in the week of Dec. 27
• Recent Low: 101 in the week of March 7
• Overall High: 244 in the week of May 3, 2020
• Overall Low: 44 in the week of Sept. 20, 2020

ICU Hospitalizations

• Currently: 42
• Trend: Up by 1
• Comments: Intensive Care Unit Care hospitalizations have fluctuated since their late- December peak. Despite this slight uptick, they have maintained a general downward trend.
• Recent High: 75 in the week of Dec. 27, 2020
• Recent Low: 41 in the week of Feb. 28
• Overall High: 75 in the week of Dec. 27, 2020
• Overall Low: 11 in the week of Aug. 2, 2020

Positivity Rate

• Currently: 4.5 percent
• Trend: Down by 0.03 percentage points
• Comments: Though the percent positivity is up a smidge, the rate is actually plateauing after a steady decline. The 4.24 percent positivity registered on March 4 was the lowest since Oct. 25, 2020.
• Recent High: 11.92 percent on Jan. 3
• Recent Low: 4.24 percent on March 4
• Overall High: 41.95 percent on May 2, 2020
• Overall Low: 3.46 percent on Sept. 24, 2020

Total Cases And Deaths

Prince George's County's 75,427 coronavirus infections are the most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 1,323 county residents.

RELATED:

• Best Vaccine Week Yet Achieved In Prince George's As Metrics Fall
• Coronavirus Vaccine: Prince George's County Lays Out Timeline
• How To Get Coronavirus Vaccine In Prince George's County
• Vaccine Allocation Quadruples For Prince Georgians At Six Flags
• Theaters Reopen, Restaurants Expand Capacity In Prince George's

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.