The coronavirus is spreading among young people in Maryland as they ignore public health guidelines, the governor said in an update Wednesday.
People under 35 have a percent positivity rate that is “shockingly 52 percent higher” than for people 35 and older, Gov. Larry Hogan said at a state Board of Public Works meeting. Many young people are asymptomatic but could infect people who are more vulnerable, he said.
“Younger people seem to be acting and feeling as if they’re bulletproof,” Hogan said.
Maryland now has an overall positivity rate of 4.72%. The positivity rate indicates the percentage of total tests that return positive for the virus. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the positivity rate for people under 35.
Every major state metric indicates progress in containing the spread of the virus, Hogan said.
All Maryland residents are advised to continue to follow social distancing guidelines, wear face masks in public and avoid large gatherings.
Since the start of the pandemic, Maryland says nearly 68,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus. At least 3,077 people have died.
