Maryland reported a record-high 3,792 new coronavirus cases on Friday, according to data from the state health department.
The latest data comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalization surge nationwide leading up to and following Thanksgiving. In Maryland, hospitalization metrics rival those in April — and the first batch of vaccines could come as soon as this month.
Prince George’s County’s seven-day positivity rate sits at 9.65 percent, and the state’s metric rose to 8 percent.
The University of Maryland has reported 33 new cases — a combination of university testing and self-reports — in the last seven days, with the university-administered testing positivity rate at .33 percent.
As hospitalizations rise, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called on those with clinical backgrounds to bolster the state’s medical staff in hospitals, testing sites and vaccine clinics at a press conference Tuesday. Hogan got emotional sharing the story of a one-year-old Marylander who died of the virus.
[Maryland Gov. Hogan announces new actions to bolster health care workforce]
The governor did not impose further restrictions. Restaurants and bars are still open for in-person dining — just not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
In March, Hogan shut down restaurants and bars as the virus first took hold of the state, when there were 37 reported cases in the state. There are now more than 209,000.
In a Friday interview with Good Morning America, Hogan said he hopes the state will receive 300,000 vaccines by the end of December. Health care workers will be first to receive the vaccine, followed by nursing homes and first responders, Hogan said.
