Coronavirus In MD: Quarantine List, Dorchester To Close Schools

MARYLAND — This week Maryland saw an increase in coronavirus cases as testing ramped up. Results from more than 30,000 tests were reported by state health officials Sunday, capping off a week in which one school system closed its buildings, citing increasing coronavirus positivity rates, and three states added Maryland to their quarantine lists because of the number of new cases.

Nearly 800 cases of coronavirus were added to Maryland's tally Sunday morning, marking the fourth consecutive day of at least 700 cases reported in the state.

The state's coronavirus positivity rate is 3.17 percent on a seven-day rolling average, according to the Maryland Department of Health, which is comparable to last week's 3.14 percent positivity rate. It remains under 5 percent, which is the recommended benchmark positivity rate for reopening established by the World Health Organization.

Cases Reported This Week

• Sunday, Oct. 25 — 792 cases
• Saturday, Oct. 24 — 796 cases
• Friday, Oct. 23 — 712 cases
• Thursday, Oct. 22 — 743 cases
• Wednesday, Oct. 21 — 492 cases
• Tuesday, Oct. 20 — 590 cases
• Monday, Oct. 19 — 497 cases

More than 140,200 people in Maryland have tested positive for the virus, state health officials reported Sunday.

Prince George's County has the most cases in Maryland, with 32,225 overall as of Sunday, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Next is Montgomery County with 25,147 total cases of the virus, followed by Baltimore County with 20,208 and Baltimore City with 17,440.

Montgomery County added over 100 new cases daily 10 times in two weeks, according to state health officials.

On the Eastern Shore, Dorchester County Public Schools closed its school buildings after an increase in coronavirus positivity in the district. The positivity rate was 6.1 percent in Dorchester County, according to the school system's superintendent, who reported Wednesday, Oct. 21, the district had reassessed its plans.

"Over the last six days the Dorchester County community has seen an increase in its COVID-19 positivity rate," Superintendent Dave Bromwell said in a statement Oct. 21. "The positivity rate has increased exponentially to make Dorchester County the 3rd highest in the state of Maryland over this short period of time."

As a result of the metrics, Dorchester County was returning to phase one of its reopening effective Tuesday, Oct. 27.

A recent spike in coronavirus infections prompted three states to put Maryland on its list of state with quarantine orders.

When travelers from Maryland head to Connecticut, New Jersey or New York, they will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

As long as Maryland averages more than 604 coronavirus cases a day in a seven-day period, it will remain on the list of troubled states. Those on the list have a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents in the last seven days.

Here is data on coronavirus in Maryland for Sunday, Oct. 25, from the state health department:

Related:

• As Federal Coronavirus Aid Stalls, Hogan Helps Small Businesses
• Daily Caseload Stubbornly High As MoCo Struggles To Reach Phase 3
• Maryland Returns To No-Travel List, Coronavirus Cases Spike
• 6 Staff Members Have Coronavirus: Harford County Public Schools
• Coronavirus Vaccine: How Will MD Distribute It? Hogan Shares Plan

Jacob Baugmart contributed to this report.