The Maryland Department of Health reported Friday a record number of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, as the state creeps closer to 300,000 cases.
The state has 1,885 hospitalizations as of Friday, the highest number since the onset of the pandemic. Of those hospitalized, 447 people required intensive care, up 20 from the previous day.
More than 28,000 Marylanders have been hospitalized with the coronavirus throughout the pandemic, the state health department said.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the new hospitalization record is partially due to a change in the way hospitals report their coronavirus patients. Previously, hospitals didn’t count those who had coronavirus but were no longer considered infectious, as dictated by federal guidelines that were recently lifted.
The state also reported 3,732 new coronavirus cases and 43 virus-related deaths Friday, bringing its totals since the start of the pandemic to 299,606 cases and 6,047 deaths.