MD Breaks New COVID-19 Case Record; Hospitals Must Make Room

MARYLAND — As Maryland reported its highest daily increase in new coronavirus cases to date during the pandemic, the state also crossed a threshold in terms of hospitalizations.

In the past 24 hours, the Maryland Department of Health reports 6,869 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed statewide.

The surge in cases comes weeks after the introduction of the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19. It was first reported in Maryland on Dec. 3. The record for new cases set Thursday also occurred just days after 6,218 new cases on Tuesday broke the state's previous record.

While new cases climb, so are hospitalizations related to COVID-19, officials say, triggering orders from the state health department.

Now that more than 1,500 patients in Maryland hospitals have coronavirus, the state has ordered hospitals to put their pandemic plans into effect, the governor said Thursday.

The Maryland Department of Health reported Thursday morning that 1,505 coronavirus-positive patients are being treated in Maryland hospitals, after 40 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals across the state in the last day.

The number is expected to climb, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.

"Our projections now show that in the coming weeks, we could reach record levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maryland — possibly over 2,000," Hogan said in a statement. "With unvaccinated patients driving the strain on our health care system, we urge Marylanders to do your part by getting your vaccine or booster shot as soon as you can."

A vaccine locator is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Maryland Department of Health has ordered Maryland hospitals to take these steps as part of their pandemic plans now that there are more than 1,500 hospital patients with COVID-19:

• Optimize existing bed capacity.
• Adjust hospital capacity, such as bringing additional staffed beds into service.
• Redeploy staff or alter staffing models.
• Reduce non-urgent and elective procedures and surgeries.
• Transfer patients to alternate care sites.
• Bridge idle clinical/administrative space online or convert other space for clinical care.

“We will continue to closely monitor this surge, and take additional actions as needed," Hogan said.

On Friday, the state ordered hospitals to make beds available by freeing up space, using alternate care sites and delaying non-urgent surgeries, once COVID-19 hospital patients exceeded 1,200 statewide. At that point, there were 1,204 coronavirus patients in Maryland hospitals — meaning the number has increased by more than 300 in less than a week.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

See Also:

• COVID Boosters Urged In MD To Fight Omicron Surge: Gov. Hogan
• COVID-19 Tests Before Holidays Encouraged By MD Health Secretary
• Governor Hogan Confirms Positive COVID-19 Test