COVID-19 outbreaks at two elder care facilities in Carroll; case numbers trending down for 8th week in a row

While new outbreaks of COVID-19 were detailed at two elder care facilities by the Carroll County Health Department on Wednesday, only 10 new cases were reported across the county.

The two new congregate living facilities cases involved a staff member at Lorien Mount Airy and a staff member at Brightview Westminster Ridge. Those facilities, as well as Birch Manor, Pleasant View, Springfield Hospital, Sunrise of Carroll County and the Central Maryland Correctional Facility all have active outbreaks, according to the health department.

With 32 total new cases reported this week, Carroll is on pace for an eighth consecutive week of declining case numbers. Last week, Carroll reported 101 total cases. Carroll hasn’t seen a week with fewer than 100 cases since the week of Oct. 18.

Carroll’s case rate per 100,000 people per day, which is reported as an average over the past seven days, dropped to 7.97, the first time it has gone below 8 since Oct. 29. The case rate peaked at 47.58 on Jan. 11. Carroll’s seven-day testing positivity rate, which measures the percentage of tests that return positive results, dropped to 2.8%. It has been below 5% since Feb. 14, having reached 8.34% on Jan. 8.

Around the state

Maryland reported 786 new infections Wednesday morning, bringing the total count of confirmed infections in the state to 383,956. Of those, 100 have been the various COVID-19 variants that have emerged in recent months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Friday will mark the one-year anniversary of Maryland’s first confirmed cases. Wednesday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced that he will declare Friday a day of remembrance for the thousands of Marylanders the virus and its effects have killed. In recognition, buildings across the state will be lit amber, and a twilight ceremony will be held at the State House on Friday evening.

Community cases

Carroll has reported 6,272 cases of community members who have tested positive, 3,238 women and 3,034 men. By age range:

0-9: 236

10-19: 720

20-29: 1,121

30-39: 876

40-49: 847

50-59: 1,182

60-69: 750

70-79: 370

80-89: 146

90-99: 24

Total cases

Carroll has reported 7,477 total COVID-19 cases. The numbers by ZIP code:

21784 (Eldersburg/Sykesville): 1,848

21157 (Westminster): 1,681

21158 (Westminster): 911

21771 (Mount Airy): 620

21074 (Hampstead): 532

21102 (Manchester): 482

21787 (Taneytown): 449

21048 (Finksburg): 376

21776 (New Windsor): 188

21797 (Woodbine): 122

21104 (Marriottsville): 103

21791 (Union Bridge): 91

21757 (Keymar): 62

Probable cases

In addition to the confirmed cases, Carroll also had 30 new probable cases, making a total of 2,195 probables since the beginning of the pandemic. These are patients who test positive using a rapid antigen test, rather than a molecular test like those offered at state-run testing sites. The health department doesn’t consider these results to be confirmed cases.

Vaccine

Carroll County officials will hold a virtual town hall on Tuesday, March 9 at 5 p.m. to update residents about the status of the county’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout and answer questions from the public. Board of County Commissioners President Ed Rothstein, R-District 5, and Health Officer Ed Singer will jointly head the meeting, according to a news release issued by the Carroll County Health Department and Carroll County Government.

Carroll remains in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, which means residents who are at least 75 years old and educators are eligible to be vaccinated at health department clinics. Also part of 1B are those essential for “continuity of government.” Maryland is in Phase 1C, which includes those aged 65-74, workers in lab services, agriculture, manufacturing and the Postal Service.

Carroll’s health department is asking residents who want to receive the vaccine to complete interest forms for their phase of vaccination. These forms can be found online at cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19-interest-forms. More information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Carroll County can be found on the health department’s page at cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19-vaccination.

Anyone who thinks they or a family member might be showing coronavirus symptoms can call the hotline between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 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.

Baltimore Sun reporter Nathan Ruiz contributed to this article.