COVID-19 hospitalization rate in Maryland hits peak

Maryland hit its highest COVID hospitalization numbers on Wednesday, Dec. 9,

According to the Baltimore Sun, all but one of those who died on this day were aged 60 and older.

There were 1,715 patients, a stark contrast to the 523 recorded on Nov. 1. The two-week death toll in Maryland has also risen to an average of 31, in comparison to 9 in November. On Dec. 12, there were 3,538 new reported cases in the state, with a record high of 622 for Montgomery County, according to The Washington Post. The Bethesda Magazine reported that countywide test positivity rates are at 6.1 percent.

On the day of the hospitalization peak, Maryland county executives and doctors met to discuss the state’s next measures.

“Based on our current trajectory of cases and hospitalizations, projections show our hospitals will be overwhelmed if we do not act,” newly inaugurated Baltimore City mayor Brandon Scott said, according to The Washington Post. “I am not afraid to do the right thing over the popular one. This is about saving lives—nothing more, nothing less.”

In wake of the Thanksgiving surge, Scott introduced Maryland’s strictest measures yet, deciding to completely shutter all indoor and outdoor dining facilities and reduce gym, religious, and retail facility capacities to 25 percent.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich proposed similar restrictions. After the Montgomery County Council approved Elrich’s proposal, restrictions went into effect on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m. “We need a bridge to safety until vaccines arrive and are widely available,” Elrich said. “And until they’re widespread, the only control over the spread of this virus is our own behaviors.”

Experts are warning the public that the virus is not going to leave simply because vaccines are on the way. “The COVID-19 vaccines are indeed likely the light at the end of the tunnel—I think what’s important is that we ensure that the tunnel doesn’t collapse before we get there,” Dr. Peter Hill from Johns Hopkins said in the meeting with Maryland county executives, according to WTOP.

Unlike the executives, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan did not introduce any new restrictions, according to CBS Baltimore. Scott, Elrich, and others have been pushing Hogan to take greater measures for the virus. However, Hogan has planned for Maryland to set aside $94 million for treating diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals, who are at a significantly higher risk of dying from COVID-19.

As for MCPS high schoolers, a full return seems unlikely. According to The Washington Post, there have been outbreaks among D.C. high school sports teams that meet in person. “Even among low-contact sports, there are outbreaks among student athletes,” LaQuandra Nesbitt, the Health Director for D.C., said. The District decided to shut down all high school sports.

While state and county leaders work on vaccines, restrictions, and reopening plans, Hogan emphasizes the importance of observing basic hygiene measures in public. “As we await the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, we need to continue washing our hands, wearing our masks, keeping our distance, and avoiding large gatherings,” Gov. Hogan said in a tweet on the morning of the hospitalization peak. “We’ve crushed the curve once, and we will do it again.”