Montgomery County Sees Largest One-Day Case Increase Since July 1

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County reported 171 new coronavirus cases on Friday, its greatest one-day increase this month, bringing the local total to 17,568.

In recent weeks, the number of daily infections in the county has plateaued in the 70s and 80s, according to data released by the Maryland Department of Health. In some instances — like on Tuesday, July 7, Saturday, July 25, and Friday, July 30 — cases hovered around the 140s and 170s.

During a weekly media briefing on Thursday, County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said the uptick in cases — while not as sharp as the Baltimore-Washington region — is giving officials pause as they cautiously plan their next steps.

"I would say right now we are at a point where we have to look at saying, 'Do we need to tighten some things up?'" Gayles said, adding that the county could only have "more substantial conversations about reopening provisions" once the data improved.

Unlike the number of new cases, Montgomery County's fatality count has remained the same. The death toll now stands at 750.

The latest figure, however, does not include the 39 others whose deaths were linked to the virus, but never confirmed by a lab test. They are considered "probable deaths" — and will not be added to the official total until a lab can confirm the cause of death.

Statewide, there have been 88,346 coronavirus cases, 3,362 confirmed deaths, and 131 "probable deaths." Of the 590 patients being hospitalized for the disease, 128 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).