December 20th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today resumed topline data reporting on its main COVID-19 surveillance dashboard hosted at coronavirus.maryland.gov. Numbers for statewide confirmed cases, persons tested negative, testing volume, and seven-day rolling average testing positivity rate will now again be updated daily—along with vaccination and hospitalization data, which MDH resumed reporting on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8, respectively.
“I want to thank the team of people who have been working diligently over the past 16 days to bring our COVID-19 data reporting back online,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “This data is critical to our keeping the public informed and to further drive our COVID fighting operations.”
On Dec. 4, MDH detected unauthorized activity involving its network infrastructure systems. As a result, MDH servers were taken offline and an investigation into the incident and restoration of impacted systems ensued. This incident did not affect the State’s ability to test for COVID-19, administer vaccines, or facilitate any of the steps of its coordinated COVID response efforts.
To date, Maryland has confirmed 621,220 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 28,541 cases since Dec. 3. The statewide seven-day average testing positivity rate has risen from 5.43 percent on Dec. 3 to 10.27 percent today—an increase of 89 percent.
“Delta remains the most prevalent variant in Maryland and with an increase in cases we are taking steps to support our state’s healthcare system,” said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan. “There are more tools than ever before to help prevent and respond to COVID-19 infection. Please get vaccinated, get a booster when you are eligible, and get tested if you have symptoms or plan to travel. I strongly recommend that people wear masks when indoors as another critical layer of protection.”
COVID-19 testing and vaccination services were uninterrupted by the network security incident and continue to operate normally. Marylanders in need of a COVID-19 test can visit covidtest.maryland.gov to find a testing location.
Marylanders who are unvaccinated are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccinated Marylanders are encouraged to receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible. To find a clinic, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call the state’s multilingual call center, available seven days a week, at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).
For more information about COVID-19 treatment options, visit covidlink.maryland.gov.
For the latest updates on the MDH network security incident, visit health.maryland.gov/incidentupdate or follow @MDHealthDept on Twitter.
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