Maryland’s daily toll of new coronavirus cases jumped by more than 200 Monday, even as the number of virus-related hospitalizations fell markedly.
The state reported 1,027 new cases Monday, up from 805 the previous day, according to state health department data.
Fourteen virus-related deaths were reported, bringing the state toll to 9,863 since the start of the pandemic last year. But hospitalizations dropped by 29 to 780 — 171 of whom are in intensive care.
The state’s seven-day average positivity rate fell slightly to 4.77%, down .3% from Sunday. That number has hovered around 5% since mid-August, increasing steadily since the end of June, when it fell as low as 0.45%.
However, Maryland’s rate is still among the nation’s best, and well below the current U.S. average of 10.1%.
As of Monday, the state has fully vaccinated roughly 3.8 million of its residents, or about 62% of the total population, according to a health department dashboard.