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Maryland Surpasses 3K COVID-19 Deaths But Has Not Seen Recent Outbreaks Like Other States

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland has not seen the surge in coronavirus cases spreading across other states—mostly in the South and West—as the governor urged everyone to get tested.

Dr. Christopher Thompson, an Associate Professor of Biology at Loyola University Maryland, explained some of the reasons why.

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"We took a slower approach to reopening. We've had mask requirements in place for some time," he said. "We were more cautious than other states in our reopening."

Governor Hogan wrote in a new update Thursday, "Because of our early and aggressive actions, Maryland is better positioned for an economic comeback than nearly every other state in America."

Coronavirus In Maryland: Hospitalizations Drop Below 500 With Less Than 200 In ICU As Cases Top 66K

But he cautioned, "As we begin to come into contact with more people, we must all continue to remain vigilant."

 

"...We encourage all Marylanders to get tested, wear a mask and practice physical distancing," Governor Hogan wrote.

Maryland's Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) praised the state's progress during a legislative COVID-19 update this week.

"The numbers demonstrate the care Marylanders have for one another," Senator Ferguson said.

But he said lawmakers are still looking at the accuracy of reported cases in nursing homes and the response in Maryland's juvenile facilities.

"On May 20th, there was an announcement that we would have universal testing of juvenile facilities. It looks like there's some serious work to be done to make sure that is fully implemented."

Maryland's positivity rate has trended downward. It stood at 5.05% Thursday. Hospitalizations are down by 33 to 511. Confirmed deaths rose by 23 to 3,001. 603,597 people have been tested. That number was up by 11,635 in a single day.

Maryland Coronavirus 6-25

"The data looks really good. We've had consistent decreases in numbers," Dr. Thompson said.

For now, the best protection remains social distancing—and wearing masks the right way.

"A lot of people are wearing them incorrectly. So they're wearing them under their nose or completely under their chin or they're touching the front of the mask," he said.

The state just launched the Masks On Maryland campaign to get people to wear their masks as activity increases as the state reopens. You can read more about it by clicking right here.

"Summer is here and we understand wanting to be out and about with family and friends, especially after staying at home for such a long time," said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Robert R. Neall. "We've made great progress, but we need to remember we're not out of the woods yet — all Marylanders must continue to exercise responsibility for themselves and each other by doing everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19."

Coronavirus testing is available Friday at the Baltimore Convention Center from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. You can register online beforehand and see other testing sites by clicking right here.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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