The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County has increased 78% in the past week.
Montgomery County’s case total climbed to 1,933 on Wednesday, compared to 1,088 on April 8.
Statewide, there are 10,032 known cases of COVID-19, or the coronavirus.
For the first time on Wednesday, the state released the number of people in Maryland who have been ruled as “probable deaths” from the coronavirus. A death is classified as “probable” if the person’s death certificate lists the disease as the cause, but it has not been confirmed by a laboratory test, according to Kata Hall, a spokeswoman for Gov. Larry Hogan.
As of Wednesday morning, there have been 349 deaths and 64 probable deaths in Maryland. Montgomery County’s death toll rose to 44, with 14 additional probable deaths.
More than 45,000 people in Maryland had received negative test results as of Wednesday morning. Additionally, 2,231 people have been hospitalized with the virus and 607 patients have been released from isolation.
On Sunday, the state began releasing the number of cases in each Maryland ZIP code. The data show three Silver Spring areas among the state’s five hardest-hit areas.
The three Silver Spring ZIP codes — 20904, 20902 and 20906 — were second, fourth, and fifth highest in the state, respectively.
Other Montgomery County ZIP codes had the following totals of recorded COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday:
20910 Silver Spring — 97
20901 Silver Spring — 90
20874 Germantown —80
20854 Potomac — 70
20852 Rockville — 68
20877 Gaithersburg — 70
20878 Gaithersburg —60
20814 Bethesda — 54
20815 Chevy Chase — 52
More data are available on the Maryland Department of Health website.
State health officials last week began releasing case data by race, which show that more African American people have tested positive for the disease than any other race.
As of Wednesday morning, 3,724 African American people have contracted the virus and 139 have died. There have been 2,425 cases among white people and 109 deaths. Data show 1,075 Hispanic people have tested positive for the disease and 13 have died.
The race of 2,221 patients is not known.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com
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For other Bethesda Beat coverage of the coronavirus, click here.
To see a timeline of major coronavirus developments in Maryland and Montgomery County, click here.