Montgomery COVID-19 Update: Three Metrics Do Not Meet County Targets

Thursday Montgomery County released an update on the public health metrics used to guide the reopening of businesses and services. There have been 16,056 cases and 725 deaths in the county since the first three cases were confirmed in March.

The county health department is tracking three categories of information including the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, hospital capacity, and testing capabilities.

The data posted Thursday were:

• Number of new confirmed positive cases each day: 92 (three-day average); 4 declining days of the last 14.
• Number of new COVID-19 related deaths each day: one (three-day average); 10 declining days of the last 14.
• COVID-19 related hospitalizations: 92 (three-day average); 14 declining days.
• Number of COVID-19 related emergency room patients: five (three-day average); 10 declining days.
• COVID-19 related intensive-care unit hospitalizations: 30 (three-day average); 14 declining days.
• Acute care bed utilization rate: 70% (three-day average); the county benchmark of 70% or less has been met 10 of the last 14 days.
• Intensive Care Unit bed utilization rate: 52% (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: 24% (three-day average); the county benchmark of 70% or less has been met 14 out of the last 14 days.
• Test positivity rate: 6% (three-day average); 14 declining days.

Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard as of Thursday, July 16 (click on photo to enlarge):

Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard as of Wednesday, July 15 (click on photo to enlarge):

Thursday is day 27 of the second stage of Montgomery County’s reopening efforts, which started on Friday, June 19. The County’s COVID-19 dashboard is showing improvement or adequate capacity in all but three metrics reported Thursday. The number of new cases, emergency room visits, and the availability of hospital acute care beds are flagged as not moving in the right direction.

Montgomery County progress report for July 16 (click on photo to enlarge):

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

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