County Tops 500 New COVID-19 Classes For Fourth Time This Month

BETHESDA, MD — For the fourth time this month, Montgomery County's COVID-19 case count surpassed 500.

The county recorded 549 new cases on Friday, according to the Maryland Department of Health, pushing the local total since March to 49,806 infections. The last time Montgomery County's daily case count was higher was on Dec. 12, when there were 622 confirmed infections reported, according to official public health data.

In the past 24 hours, seven more people have died from COVID-19. The county's death toll now stands at 1,126.

Forty-three 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 confirmatory lab tests are performed.

Across Maryland, there have been 299,606 coronavirus cases, 6,047 confirmed deaths, and 169 "probable deaths." Of the 1,885 patients being hospitalized for the disease statewide, 447 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).