Vaccine Rollout Improves, But Cases Rise In Prince George's

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County is approaching a coronavirus vaccine benchmark. Nearly 10 percent of the county is fully immunized and just over 20 percent has gotten at least one dose.

The county still has the worst inoculation rate in the state, but there are signs of improvement. The gap between Prince George's and the second-slowest jurisdiction, neighboring Charles County, is shrinking. The two are now separated by less than half a percentage point.

Still, cases and hospitalizations are the highest they have been since Valentine's Day. The declining positivity rate and death toll offer some hope, however.

Maryland announced six upcoming mass vaccination sites last week. Prince George's County also expanded its immunization eligibility last Tuesday, opening the shot to residents 60 and up.

Last week's 1,220 infections are up 166 from the week prior. The virus also killed 11 county residents last week, which is 10 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: 9.12 percent
• Trend: Up by 1.65 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.

At Least One Dose

• Currently: 20.54 percent
• Trend: Up by 3.37 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: 19.17
• Trend: Up by 2.61
• Comments: New cases rose for the second straight week. This spike ended a period of sharp decline from the county's Jan. 14 peak. Infections are now the highest they have been 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: 139
• Trend: Up by 22
• Comments: That is the highest total since the week of Feb. 14. Hospitalizations rose for the second straight week. This span has brought an additional 38 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: 48
• Trend: Up by 2
• Comments: Intensive Care Unit hospitalizations rose for the third 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: 5.34 percent
• Trend: Down by 0.14 percentage points
• Comments: The positivity rate declined slightly last week, but it is still above its recent low. It should be clearer within a few weeks whether the percent positivity is truly on the mend.
• 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 77,701 coronavirus infections are the most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 1,355 county residents.

RELATED:

• Numbers Rise Slightly In Prince George's, But Vaccines Chug Along
• Coronavirus Vaccine: Prince George's County Lays Out Timeline
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Prince George's County
• Coronavirus Vaccine: New Age Group Eligible In Prince George's
• MD Adds 6 Mass Vaccination Sites: Hogan

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.