MoCo Adds 152 Coronavirus Cases As It Nears Phase Two Reopening

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County added 152 new coronavirus cases and two more deaths Thursday as the region awaits a decision to enter phase two of reopening.

The latest figures bring the local case count to 13,276 and the death toll to 635. An additional 39 people likely had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but died before ever getting tested, health officials said. "Probable deaths" aren't included in the official fatality count until they are confirmed by a laboratory test.

On Wednesday, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced that he was prepared to move into phase two of his reopening plan as early as next week, which would allow churches and fitness centers to reopen as well as allowing restaurants to begin to offer indoor dining.

Dr. Travis Gayles, the county's top health official, said the region will continue to rely on data to determine what shape reopening takes. A spike in confirmed cases, Elrich and Gayles said, would require county officials to pump the brakes on reopening.

Montgomery County — Maryland's most populous jurisdiction — 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 16,940, according to the latest figures.

The two hard-hit counties opted out of reopening with the rest of the state last month because the number of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations were not plateauing. They both entered phase one of their respective reopening plans on June 1.

Most parts of the state reopened on May 15, after Gov. Larry Hogan said he saw a 14-day decline in cases and hospitalizations.

Stage two of Hogan's recovery plan took effect statewide Friday.

Across Maryland, health officials are reporting 60,197 confirmed cases and 2,750 deaths. The probable death toll now stands at 125, officials said.

There are 902 coronavirus patients currently hospitalized in Maryland. Of that, 358 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Here's how many cases have been recorded in each county, as of Thursday. Montgomery County is outlined in bright blue: