MoCo Coronavirus Positivity Rate Drops To 2.73%; Deaths Hit 773​

BETHESDA, MD — Maryland's most populous county logged 56 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths on Tuesday as the test positivity rate remained above 2.5 percent.

The latest numbers push Montgomery County's overall totals to 19,127 infections and 773 fatalities. Another 39 people may have died from COVID-19 — the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus — but a laboratory test is still needed to confirm the cause of death.

The test positivity rate now stands at 2.73 percent — a 0.11 percent decrease from the previous day. It was at its lowest on Aug. 6 (the rate hit 2.5 percent).

The county — which is home to roughly 1.1 million people — continues to have the highest number of deaths in the state. It also has the second highest number of confirmed cases, after Prince George's County, which has 24,888, according to the latest figures.

Statewide, there have been 101,235 confirmed cases, 3,511 deaths, and 139 "probable deaths."

Of the 453 currently hospitalized for the virus, 102 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Like Gov. Larry Hogan, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is waiting for COVID-19 data to improve before entering phase three of reopening. Hogan has given all 24 jurisdictions in the state discretion in deciding when and how to reopen their respective economies.

Here's what the county must do to get to phase three.