MD Coronavirus Trends 'Stable,' Hogan Says, As City Limits Dining

MARYLAND — More than 500 people in Maryland are hospitalized with the coronavirus, state health officials reported Wednesday. It is the fifth day in a row hospitalizations have been on the rise in the state.

In Baltimore City, data shows 355 people are hospitalized with the virus, accounting for more than 70 percent of the state's current 505 coronavirus patients.

Health officers from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's county and Baltimore City wrote Gov. Larry Hogan to request he create a "unified, standardized approach" to rolling back reopening measures, such as restricting travel, closing malls, requiring face coverings and closing restaurants except for outdoor dining, according to WTOP.

The health officers wrote that their jurisdictions were "considering a range of revisions" in an attempt to drive down increasing coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and transmission rates.

Hogan said he was not planning to roll back reopening, at a Wednesday night news conference.

"We do not want to crush our economy and punish 95 percent of the Marylanders and businesses who are doing the right thing because of the failure to control a small segment of willful violators," Hogan said.

Montgomery County officials cracked down on violators, Hogan said, commending its leaders for taking responsibility for enforcement. Hogan said he has spoken with the mayor of Ocean City, which was also working on that.

"We continue to be concerned about possible resurgence of the virus," Hogan said. "We will not hesitate to take statewide actions if and when we deem them to be necessary."

As of Wednesday, Hogan said the state was "stable," based on the data.

"Delaware closed their bars because they were open. Ours were really not supposed to be," Hogan said.

When Maryland opened for indoor dining in mid-June, restaurants could operate at 50 percent capacity with tables 6 feet apart. Bars and restaurant patrons must be seated, Hogan noted.

"We did not open bars the way Delaware did and the way most other states did where they were fully opened with hundreds of people jammed in," Hogan said. "You're only allowed seated, distanced, capacity-restricted” dining.

Starting this Friday, Baltimore will no longer allow indoor dining, the city leaders announced Wednesday, due to concerns about the spread of the virus among young people, transmission in bars and restaurants and a hot spot in the southeastern part of the city.

In the 21224 ZIP code — which includes Canton, Highlandtown and Patterson Park — Baltimore Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa said the positivity rate has been as high as 22 percent.

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During the Maryland Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday morning, State Treasurer Nancy Kopp brought up to Hogan that Maryland was just added to the list of states whose residents must self-quarantine for 14 days if they visit Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

States reporting more than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents in a single day are on the list.

"I think New York made a mistake in putting us on that list," Hogan said. According to the governor, the jump in confirmed cases was expected given the increase in testing capacity, and the positivity rate was staying below the recommended 5 percent threshold.

"We're concerned, we're watching carefully," Hogan said, "but we're still below."

The positivity rate in Maryland is 4.49 percent, state health data shows.

These areas are above 5 percent positivity as of Wednesday, data shows:

• Dorchester County: 6.98 percent

• Worcester County: 6.93 percent

• Baltimore City: 6.33 percent

• Talbot County: 5.99 percent

• Prince George's County: 5.85 percent

• Baltimore County: 5.72 percent

• Charles County: 5.68 percent

Baltimore City as well as Baltimore, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties have issued orders that require people to wear face coverings in their jurisdictions beyond state mandates in cases such as when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained.

Coronavirus in Maryland: A Snapshot

Here is a look at Maryland's coronavirus numbers as of Wednesday, July 22:

Maryland Hospitalizations, Deaths

Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Jurisdiction

Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Age And Gender

Maryland Coronavirus Cases By Race And Ethnicity

Coronavirus In Group Living Facilities

Every Wednesday, the Maryland Department of Health reports the latest data from congregate living facilities. Here is the information as of Wednesday, July 22:

Symptoms Of Coronavirus

Contracting the coronavirus can result in mild to severe illness. Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart or lung disease, are the most at risk of complications from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These symptoms of coronavirus can appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

Those who have trouble breathing, feel persistent pain or pressure in the chest, experience new confusion, have the inability to wake or stay awake or have bluish lips or face should get medical attention immediately, federal health officials say.

To prevent getting the illness, authorities advise staying away from those who are sick, keeping 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, washing hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and wearing a cloth face covering when around others.

See Also:

• Marylanders Must Quarantine When Visiting CT, NJ, NY

• Baltimore Restricts Indoor Dining As Virus Spreads

This article originally appeared on the Baltimore Patch