Montgomery County Coronavirus Cases Up By 211, Deaths Total 442

ROCKVILLE, MD — Confirmed coronavirus cases in Montgomery County ticked up by 211 on Monday, to 8,417, while the number of people who have died from the disease rose by 5, bringing the local death toll to 442.

There are now a total of 38 "probable deaths" in the county. That means those people likely had COVID-19, but died without ever being tested.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and has since infected more than 4,748,300 people and killed more than 315,800 around the world, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Since Maryland reported its first three coronavirus cases on March 5, there have been 39,762 positive infections and 1,903 confirmed deaths. State health officials are now reporting 120 "probable deaths."

Here's how many cases each county has. Montgomery County is outlined in bright blue.

As of Monday morning, 161,744 people have tested negative for COVID-19 and 2,817 have been released from isolation. There are currently 1,447 hospitalized coronavirus patients. Of that, 555 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to state data, hospitalizations are at its lowest level in three weeks.

Montgomery County has yet to release a breakdown of hospitalizations.

The county 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 11,608.

Health officials expect the numbers to increase as more testing becomes available.

In order to get a test, an individual must meet the coronavirus testing criteria as determined by a licensed health care provider.

During a virtual news briefing last week, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles acknowledged it was more difficult for people without insurance or a primary care provider to get tested.

"The reality is many people were still locked out of the system because they did not have access to a primary care provider," Gayles said. "We heard lots of stories where individuals who didn't have insurance or a primary care provider say, 'I showed up to an urgent care. The test was free, but I was being charged a couple hundreds dollar visit fee.'"

To make testing more accessible, the county has set up a hotline for residents who want to get tested for the disease, but don't have a primary care provider.

The number is 240-777-1755.

Gayles said that when patients call the hotline, the county's disease control unit will take down their information and a health care provider will call them back at a specific time. The provider will then ask them a series of questions to see if they meet the coronavirus testing criteria. The patients who do meet the criteria will be able to schedule a time to get tested.

Before the county can reopen, Gayles says the county needs to expand its testing capacity.

Approximately 3 percent of county residents have been tested for COVID-19, Gayles said. The goal is to test 5 percent of the population on a monthly basis.

Health officials have set up a number of testing sites across Montgomery County, including in Germantown, Wheaton, and White Oak.

Until certain coronavirus benchmarks are met, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says the county cannot reopen.

Most parts of the state have gradually started to reopen as part of phase one of Gov. Larry Hogan's Maryland Strong Roadmap to Recovery plan.

Under phase one, barbershops and hair salons, retail stores, and houses of worship can reopen at 50 percent capacity, given people follow social distancing rules and wear masks.

Harder hit jurisdictions, like Montgomery and Prince George's counties, decided against reopening — citing ongoing concerns over their caseloads and fatality counts.

For Elrich to lift his coronavirus restrictions, the county must see:

• A consistent decline over a 14-day period in new cases as more testing is conducted
• A sustained decrease in the number of daily deaths
• A downward trend in hospitalizations rates (and ICU beds in use)
• A sustained decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients going to the ER

SEE ALSO:

• County Extends Stay-At-Home Order For Residents Indefinitely
  
• What MD's Reopening Plan Means For Montgomery County
• Coronavirus Hotline To Help Those Without Primary Care Provider
• Montgomery County Cancels Summer Camp Over Coronavirus