Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases In MoCo Hit Highest Level Since May

SILVER SPRING, MD — The number of newly reported COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County swelled to its highest level in six months on Thursday, as daily infections across the state and country hit new records.

Overnight, Maryland's most populous jurisdiction recorded 465 new COVID-19 cases, rivaling its first peak of the pandemic on May 19. On that day, new cases clocked in at 533.

Thursday's addition pushes the county's case total to 30,298.

Since the pandemic started in March, the county's daily caseload has surpassed 400 a total of three times. In November alone, there have been 11 days in which the county has recorded more than 200 infections — and three days with more than 300 cases.

The number of cases per 100,000 residents hit 29.3 on Thursday — its highest level since March. Ten is the threshold at which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers a region to be at high risk for coronavirus transmission.

Between June 17 and Oct. 13, the case rate hovered between 6.3 and 9.4 — which, by the county's standard — poses a moderate transmission risk.

Here's a closer look:

On Thursday, the county recorded three new deaths linked to COVID-19. That pushes the local death toll to 878.

Forty-one others, health officials say, may have had the virus but died before ever getting tested. For now, they are considered "probable deaths." They won't be added to the official fatality count until they are confirmed by a lab test.

Across Maryland, there have been 174,733 coronavirus cases, 4,220 confirmed deaths, and 152 "probable deaths." Of the 1,192 patients being hospitalized for the disease statewide, 260 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).