In Latest Metrics, County Has Met Only 6 of 10 COVID-19 Criteria

Wednesday afternoon, Montgomery County updated 10 public health metrics being used to guide the county’s efforts to reopen businesses and lift the stay-at-home order. The public health data is categorized into hospital capacity, COVID-19 surveillance, and testing. The county’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily with the current numbers for each metric.

As of Wednesday, it appears six criteria are met. However, the following four criteria have not been met: the number of new cases, the number of new COVID-19 related deaths, the hospital acute care beds utilization rate, and increased testing capacity.

The goal for hospital acute care beds utilization rate is 70% or less. Tuesday, the utilization rate increased to 67% and then to 69% on Wednesday. The county’s hospitals have had adequate acute bed capacity for five of the 14 past days.

The methodology for each of the ten criteria is based on a three-day rolling average and the number of days out of the last 14 days there was progress to the goal. For instance, the goal to keep the utilization of acute care beds under 70% is measured by the percentage of all acute care beds in use. The county is monitoring the days of adequate capacity of acute care beds. A day of adequate capacity occurs when the three-day rolling average meets or exceeds the goal. Find detailed information on each criterion on the county’s COVID-19 website.

Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard as of June 10 (click on Tweet to enlarge):

Montgomery County COVID-19 criterial as of June 10. Six of 10 metrics determining if Montgomery County can move onto phase 2 of reopening have been met: pic.twitter.com/1IDgI1XMHH

— Montgomery Community Media (@mymcmedia) June 10, 2020

Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard as of June 9 (click on photo to enlarge):

The data posted Wednesday afternoon were:

• Number of new confirmed positive cases each day: 130 (three-day average); nine declining days our of the last 14.
• Number of COVID-19 new deaths each day: five (three-day average); 13 declining days of the last 14.
• COVID-19 related hospitalizations: 255 (three-day average); 14 declining days.
• Number of COVID-19 related emergency room patients: 6 (three-day average); 14 declining days.
• COVID-19 related intensive-care unit hospitalizations: 93 (three-day average); 14 declining days.
• Acute care bed utilization rate: 69% (three-day average); the county benchmark of 70% or less has been met five of the last 14 days.
• Intensive Care Unit bed utilization rate: 69% (three-day average); the county benchmark of 80% or less has been met 14 out of the last 14 days.
• Percentage of ventilators in use: 55% (three-day average); the county benchmark of 70% or less has been met 14 out of the last 14 days.
• Test positivity rate: 11% (three-day average); 14 declining days.

The county also set goals for testing capacity, contact tracing, and prioritizing equity. More details on each of these goals is available on the county’s website, here.

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

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