Hogan: Maryland’s COVID-19 positive-test rate falls again

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday announced another drop in the percentage of residents tested for COVID-19 whose results come back positive.

The rolling seven-day average positivity rate fell to 7.38%, Hogan announced in a statement.

That said, the rates for counties in the D.C. area continue to fall, but are still well above the statewide average: Montgomery County stands at 10.26%, while Prince George’s County is at 11.83%.

Still, the statement said, that’s down from heights of 32.64% and 41.96% respectively.

The positivity rate in Baltimore City is at 7.98%; in Frederick County, 7.68%. Anne Arundel County is at 7.28%; Howard County is at 6.37%; and Baltimore County is at 6.33%.

CLICK TO EXPAND: Positivity rates for Maryland and individual counties as of June 8, 2020. (Courtesy Gov. Larry Hogan’s office)

Hogan’s office also announced that current hospitalizations in Maryland had fallen under 1,000, the fewest since April 10.

The governor also announced that the testing site at Six Flags America, in Prince George’s County, would be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, June 10, and Friday, June 12. No doctor’s order is needed to get a test at that site; there are no out-of-pocket charges, and you’ll get your results back in two to five days.

Maryland has conducted more than 435,000 COVID-19 tests, Hogan’s office said.

A drop in positivity rate is considered a sign of widespread testing, which itself is considered a key criterion in lifting safety restrictions instituted at the height of the pandemic.

Summer hours for Md. testing sites

A number of Maryland COVID-19 testing sites will offer “summer-friendly hours,” Hogan also announced Monday in a separate news release.

The testing site at Six Flags America will be open this Wednesday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on each day. Patients can go without an appointment or doctor’s order.

This week, these testing sites will be open on an appointment-only basis: