MoCo Adds 96 Coronavirus Cases As Residents Await Phase 3 Date

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County recorded 96 new coronavirus cases on Thursday — its largest one-day increase in a week — according to data released by Maryland's Department of Health.

The local total now stands at 14,899.

Even with that small bump, new infections have consistently been in the double digits since mid-June.

On Thursday, the local death toll climbed by four, to 704. The official fatality count doesn't include the 39 others whose deaths were linked to the virus, but never confirmed by a lab test. They are considered "probable deaths."

Montgomery County officials commended residents for following CDC guidelines and helping keep the numbers down, but warned that complacency around social distancing measures could undo their progress.

The state's most populous jurisdiction is now in phase two of its reopening plan. County Executive Marc Elrich on Wednesday said he wouldn't announce a reopening date for phase three until he knew there weren't any surges tied to Independence Day celebrations.

In recent weeks, more than a dozen states have paused or rolled back their coronavirus reopening plans after seeing spikes in new cases. Among them are Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas. Maryland's numbers, however, remain steady.

As of Thursday, Maryland had 68,423 positive infections, 3,086 confirmed deaths, and 126 "probable deaths."

Of the 441 coronavirus patients currently hospitalized, 149 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).