Baltimore officials said they are worried about a “deeply concerning” spike in new coronavirus infections and deaths in the city, which have been steadily rising for several weeks.
While all adults in Maryland are eligible for vaccinations, the expanded eligibility does not appear to have much effect on the spread of the coronavirus in Baltimore so far.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) and Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa issued a joint statement Thursday calling the increase of cases and deaths “deeply concerning, particularly among residents under 70.”
They pointed to more contagious variants, increased movement among the public “approaching pre-pandemic times,” and less vigilance with social distancing and mask-wearing as contributing to the rise in cases.
“With a Covid-19 positivity rate above five percent, we have reached widespread community transmission, and are currently unable to pinpoint a specific driver for the rapid rise in cases,” the joint statement says.
The city’s daily positivity rate is 6.26 percent, which is higher than the state average of 5.67, but lower than Somerset County, which has the state’s highest rate at 11.15. By comparison with elsewhere in the capital region, Montgomery is at 3.11 and Prince George’s is at 6.32.
Baltimore is one of Maryland’s hot spots, with a seven-day average of new cases of 244, or nearly 41 cases per 100,000 residents.
Baltimore has also experienced an increase in the number of hospitalizations. In the past two weeks, the seven-day-average hospitalization figure has jumped from 331.1 to 403.6, according to local health department data.
Since March 12, hospitalizations in Maryland have climbed from 765 patients to 1,232 on Friday. The state reported 16 deaths from the novel coronavirus on Friday.
In the District, the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 residents was 16, the same as it was one month ago, data show. The District reported 134 new cases on Friday and three new deaths.
The seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 in Virginia on Friday was about 18, slightly higher than the 15 the state reported one month ago. The state added 1,594 new cases and 20 new deaths Friday, data show.
The first cases of the coronavirus variant P.1, which was first identified in Brazil, were found in Virginia, state health officials said Friday. The variant was found in samples from two Virginia residents, one of whom traveled within the United States before the onset of illness. The residents are from the northwest and eastern regions of the state, officials said.
The variant, which has been detected in at least 20 states as well as Maryland and the District, is associated with increased transmission, but not more severe disease.
Meanwhile, Virginia health officials are preparing for a new federally funded mass vaccination center to open Tuesday in a former Lord & Taylor department store in Fairfax County, with the capacity to deliver at least 3,000 shots daily.