MARYLAND, USA — Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday that the state has been seeing a continued decline in major COVID-19 metrics, most notably a drop in hospitalizations.
Hospitalizations are now more than five times lower than omicron peak levels in January, which were just below 3,500. Currently, hospital patients admitted due to COVID are below 700, with ICU levels below 150. Overall, hospitalizations have declined by 80.3%, according to Hogan’s team.
Since peaking last month just below 30%, Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate has also declined by 88.2%. The team also said that the state is reporting the lowest positivity rate in the United States according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The case rate has declined by nearly 95%, at 11.9 people out of every 100,000.
Hogan is still urging Marylanders to go get their boosters or original series of COVID-19 shots, and he's even providing a cash incentive.
Just last week, he confirmed that more than 2 million Maryland residents will now be eligible to win cash prizes in a new lottery drawing rewarding fully vaccinated individuals.
Gov. Larry Hogan announced the launch of the "VaxCash 2.0" program Tuesday.
Starting on Feb. 15, the Maryland Lottery is randomly picking and awarding one boosted Marylander each week for 12 straight weeks. The first drawing Tuesday kicked off with an initial $500,000 drawing. Winners in weeks two through 11 will receive $50,000. The grand prize week 12 winner will get $1 million.