Numbers Rise Slightly In Prince George's, But Vaccines Chug Along

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County had a tough coronavirus week. Before the past seven days, most metrics had dipped to their lowest levels since last fall.

Now, the case rate, percent positivity and death toll are all up. Total hospitalizations also rose for the first time in nearly three months. These spikes are not yet large enough to sound the alarm, but they threaten months of declining numbers.

On the other hand, the immunization rollout is progressing. About 17.17 percent of Prince Georgians have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Gov. Larry Hogan recently expanded inoculation eligibility and laid out a timeline of when the remaining Marylanders can get the shot. These updates only apply to vaccine clinics operated by state and private providers.

The Prince George's County Health Department will likely follow suit and enter stage 2A at its immunization sites this week, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks predicted. Prince George's still ranks last in immunization rollout, however.

Last week's 1,054 infections are up 79 from the week prior. The virus also killed 21 county residents last week, which is 10 more 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: 7.47 percent
• Trend: Up by 1.07 percentage points
• Rank: 24th out of the state's 24 jurisdictions
• Trend: No change

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

Coronavirus Case Rate

• Currently: 16.56
• Trend: Up by 1.24
• Comments: New cases saw a slight uptick last week. It's too soon to tell whether this indicates a larger increase or if new infections are just oscillating as they leveling off. It may be clearer in a few weeks. Still, the case rate has plummeted since its Jan. 14 peak. The rate hasn't changed much since that sharp decline ended about two weeks ago.
• Recent High: 58.83 on Jan. 14
• Recent Low: 15.24 on March 15
• Overall High: 58.83 on Jan. 14
• Overall Low: 7.57 on July 2, 2020

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 117
• Trend: Up by 16
• Comments: Hospitalizations rose for the first time in 11 weeks. This is the highest total since the week of Feb. 21.
• 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: 46
• Trend: Up by 4
• Comments: Intensive Care Unit hospitalizations rose for the second straight week. This is the highest total since the week of Feb. 21.
• 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: 5.48 percent
• Trend: Up by 0.98 percentage points
• Comments: This is the highest positivity rate since Feb. 25.
• 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 76,481 coronavirus infections are the most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 1,344 county residents.

RELATED:

• Coronavirus Numbers Ease Up As Business Capacity Expands
• Coronavirus Vaccine: Prince George's County Lays Out Timeline
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Prince George's County
• Vaccine Eligibility Expands In Prince George's County
• What Will Hybrid Classes Look Like In Prince George's 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.