Some 415 Marylanders died from COVID-19 in less than 30 days

For the first time in nearly a month, the Maryland Department of Health website has included information on the number of deaths across the state.

The MDH website shows that at least 415 Marylanders died from COVID-19 between Dec. 4 and Tuesday bringing the state’s total to 11,437, The Associated Press reported.

State officials took a number of the health department’s servers offline at that time, when they discovered suspicious activity, which they described as a “network security incident.” The health department has said there’s no evidence that data was lost as a result of the cyberattack, and that data has been restored, including information on cumulative cases and deaths by jurisdiction.

Cases will continue to be updated daily, according to the state’s health department, “with the exception of previously planned pauses for all COVID data reporting on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 in observance of the holiday.”

The latest data shows that 6,574 new cases were reported on Tuesday. Between Dec. 23 and Tuesday, the state recorded 38,451 new coronavirus cases.

The surge in cases led some jurisdictions, including Howard and Baltimore counties, to reinstate mask mandates.

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said the county is experiencing “record-breaking numbers of new COVID-19 cases,” and she’s asked the county’s board of health to hold an emergency meeting to consider a mask mandate. That meeting will be held Thursday at 7 p.m.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said he isn’t calling for a mandate on booster shots, and that he can’t unilaterally call for a mask mandate. Pittman said Tuesday that he expects the county council will discuss a possible indoor mask mandate when the council meets Jan. 4.

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