Vaccine Milestones Approach, But Cases Climb In Prince George's

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Nearly one-quarter of Prince Georgians have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Nearly 10 percent are fully immunized.

These developments come as inoculation shipments start to grow. President Joe Biden told states to expect larger allocations starting last Monday.

The expanded eligibility and numbers in Prince George's reflect that increase. This was the county's best inoculation week yet, but it still has the lowest vaccination rate in Maryland.

Still, the positivity rate is the highest it has been since February, and hospitalizations spiked for the third straight week. The case rate is also at its steepest point since Valentine's Day.

Last week's 1,247 infections are up 27 from the week prior. The virus also killed 10 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: 11.94 percent
• Trend: Up by 2.82 percentage points
• Rank: 24th out of the state's 24 jurisdictions
• Trend: No change
• Comments: This was the most Prince George's County residents that have ever been vaccinated in a single week.

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.

At Least One Dose

• Currently: 23.94 percent
• Trend: Up by 3.4 percentage points
• Comments: This is the largest single-week jump since vaccine rollout began.

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: 19.59
• Trend: Up by 0.42
• Comments: New infections rose for the third straight week. This spike ended a period of sharp decline from the county's Jan. 14 peak. The case rate was even higher last Wednesday when it reached 20.3. That was the highest since Feb. 14.
• 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: 153
• Trend: Up by 14
• Comments: That is the highest total since the week of Feb. 7. Hospitalizations rose for the third straight week. This span has brought an additional 52 hospitalizations.
• 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: 52
• Trend: Up by 4
• Comments: Intensive Care Unit hospitalizations rose for the fourth 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: 5.66 percent
• Trend: Up by 0.32 percentage points
• Comments: After one week of slight decline, the positivity rate rose a smidge last week. The rate was even higher last Friday when it reached 6.18 percent. That was the highest since Feb. 22. The percent positivity has been on a fairly continuous hike since early March.
• 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 78,948 coronavirus infections are the most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 1,365 county residents.

RELATED:

• Vaccine Rollout Improves, But Cases Rise In Prince George's
• Coronavirus Vaccine: Prince George's County Lays Out Timeline
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Prince George's County
• Vaccines Open To Prince Georgians With These Conditions
• Coronavirus Aid Helps MD Businesses As Legislative Year Nears End

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.