Carroll County saw an increase of nearly 10% in coronavirus cases in three days, with 44 new positive tests and two deaths since Friday evening, according to the Carroll County Health Department.
The two people who died were both residents of Westminster Healthcare Center, an elder care facility in Westminster. One-quarter of the new positive tests (11) were residents of Fairhaven, an elder care facility in Sykesville.
There have been 505 COVID-19 cases with 61 deaths among Carroll County residents, residents of long-term care facilities in the county, and staff members of such facilities who live in Carroll, according to health department data released Monday evening.
There were 20 new cases at elder care facilities. Because COVID-19 tends to be more dangerous for the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable to localized outbreaks.
The total number of facility cases in Carroll stands at 281 with 55 fatalities, including one staff member who was a county resident. The health department lists all facilities with active outbreaks and there are currently eight such facilities.
- Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy has seen 84 resident cases with 28 fatalities as well as 42 staff cases, 17 of whom live in Carroll with one death.
- Westminster Healthcare Center has seen 62 resident cases with eight deaths and nine staff cases (three Carroll residents).
- Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster has seen 38 resident cases with eight deaths and 11 staff cases (10 Carroll residents).
- Fairhaven has seen 35 resident cases with five deaths and five staff cases (no Carroll residents).
- Sun Valley Assisted Living has seen 16 resident cases with four deaths and seven staff cases (four Carroll residents).
- Birch Manor Healthcare Center in Sykesville has seen five resident cases.
- Lorien Mount Airy has seen one resident case and five staff cases (two Carroll residents).
- Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville has seen four staff cases (two Carroll residents)
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Two cases and one death occurred at a facility or facilities no longer considered the site of an active outbreak (at least 14 days since the onset of the last case).
While the majority of all Carroll cases have been among residents or staff members at elder care facilities, the majority of the new cases reported — 24 of 44 — were community cases, that is, positive tests among people not associated with such facilities.
Carroll has now seen 224 community cases with deaths divided evenly between women and men. Five cases are younger than 10 years old; 10 are in the 10-19 range; 37 are 20-29 years old; 26 are 30-39; 29 are 40-49; 73 are 50-59; 29 are 60-69; six are 70-79; and nine are 80-89.
There have been 30 hospitalizations and 94 people have been released from isolation.
According to Health Department data, the ZIP code in Carroll County with the most new cases since Friday was 21784, Sykesville/Eldersburg, which saw an increase of 18 cases.
Westminster has the most cases in Carroll, with 210 across two ZIP codes. Mount Airy has 128, followed by Sykesville/Eldersburg with 86, Taneytown and Hampstead with 17, Manchester with 14, Finksburg with 12 and New Windsor with eight. There have been 13 cases in other Carroll ZIP codes. (Data is suppressed in ZIP codes with seven cases or fewer to protect confidentiality.)
Anyone who thinks they or a family member might be showing coronavirus symptoms can call the Carroll County Health Department’s COVID-19 hotline, which is available 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. seven days a week at 410-876-4848, or contact their doctor. After hours, callers may leave a message or call 211. People with emergencies should continue to call 911.