Montgomery County officials are tracking public health data to determine when and how to relax “restrictions and move toward reopening businesses and public amenities in the county.” The county developed the COVID-19 Dashboard to track numerous metrics and updates the information daily by 2 p.m.
The metrics tracked by the county include the number of cases, deaths, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and ICU hospitalizations. Also, the county tracks the utilization rate of acute care beds, intensive care beds, and ventilators. The final two metrics include the percentage of positive tests and the capacity to test five percent of residents monthly.
As of Thursday, the three-day average number of new cases increased from 182 Wednesday to 214 Thursday, deaths increased from four to five, hospitalizations increased from 341 to 347, emergency room visits dropped from 15 to 10, patients in intensive care beds increased from 120 to 122, the utilization rate of acute care beds increased from 73% to 74%, intensive care bed utilization rate increased from 64% to 65%, use of ventilators rose from 54% to 57%, percentage of positive tests dropped from 16% to 14%, and the three day average for tests increased from 1,099 to 1,222.
Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard last updated May 28 (click on photo to enlarge):
Montgomery County COVID-19 Dashboard as of May 27 (click on photo to enlarge):
As of Thursday, the Maryland Department of Health reports 10,752 confirmed cases and 542 deaths due to COVID-19.
The target for two metrics — 14 days of ICU bed utilization less than 80% and 14 days of ventilator use less than 70% — has been met.
The utilization rate for acute care beds in the county has only fallen below the 70% threshold once of the past 14 days.
The data posted Thursday were:
- Number of new confirmed positive cases each day: 214 (three-day average); nine declining days out of the last 14
- Number of COVID-19 new deaths each day: 5 (three-day average); seven declining days
- COVID-19 related hospitalizations: 347 (three-day average); nine declining days
- Number of COVID-19 related emergency room patients: 10 (three-day average); 6 declining days
- COVID-19 related intensive care unit hospitalizations: 122 (three-day average); 6 declining days
- Acute care bed utilization rate: 74% (three-day average); the county benchmark of less than 70% has been met 1 of the last 14 days
- Intensive care bed utilization rate: 65% (three-day average); the county benchmark of less than 80% has been met for 14 straight days
- Percentage of ventilators in use: 57% (three-day average); the county benchmark of less than 70% has been met for 14 straights days
- Percentage of positive tests: 14% (three-day average); eight declining days
- Number of tests administered: 1,222 (three-day average); the county has set a goal to have the capacity to test 5% of residents on a monthly basis
