County Reports Second Greatest One-Day Rise In Cases Since March

BETHESDA, MD — Montgomery County has recorded its second largest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started in early March, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland Department of Health.

In the past 24 hours, the county reported 505 new coronavirus cases, pushing its total to 33,905. Last time the daily caseload was higher was on May 19, when there were 533 confirmed infections.

Since the pandemic started, the county's daily caseload has surpassed 400 a total of four times. In November alone, there have been 22 days in which the county has recorded more than 200 infections — and four days with more than 300 cases.

On Tuesday, the county recorded six new deaths tied to COVID-19. That pushes the local death toll to 918.

Forty-two others, health officials say, may have had the virus but died before ever getting tested. For now, they are considered "probable deaths." They won't be added to the official fatality count until they are confirmed by a lab test.

Across Maryland, there have been 201,135 coronavirus cases, 4,516 confirmed deaths, and 157"probable deaths." Of the 1,583 patients being hospitalized for the disease statewide, 350 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).