BALTIMORE — Amid a new surge of COVID-19 cases, Baltimore City on Wednesday suspended all activities sponsored by their Recreation and Parks department until January 31.
Over the last four weeks, the city has seen COVID-19 related hospitalizations rise 185 percent.
According to Baltimore Health Commissioner, Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, hospitals are at 90 percent capacity in their Intensive Care Units and 88 percent at the Acute Care level.
The City is also joining other state jurisdictions in giving out free at-home rapid COVID-19 test kits.
Thus far 11,000 kits have been distributed among 54 Baltimore libraries, vaccination sites, and community organizations.
Kevin Sowers, President of Johns Hopkins Health System, says the spike in cases is beginning to impact medical workers, creating a staffing shortage.
In the case of Johns Hopkins, 23 was the previous high mark for employees testing positive per day. That has now increased to 63, according to Sowers.
Of the COVID patients currently admitted at Hopkins owned hospitals, 70 percent are unvaccinated. The other 30 percent, on average had their last vaccine 148 days ago, meaning they have not yet received a booster.
As it stands now, about 52 percent of COVID cases at Hopkins hospitals are tied to the Delta variant, while the remaining 48 percent is Omicron.
