Maryland has recorded its first coronavirus-related death of a child age 9 or younger — a grim marker as the state continues to reel from the latest surge in the pandemic.
The state health department on Monday reported 1,923 new coronavirus cases and 16 deaths, including the child.
The department reported 1,527 hospitalizations — nearly triple the amount since the start of November when the number stood at 523 — as of Monday, The Baltimore Sun reported.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate is at 6.86%, up from 6.53% Sunday and well above the generally recommended rate of 5%.
As of Monday, Maryland has 198,370 coronavirus cases and 4,486 related deaths since the onset of the pandemic, according to health department statistics.