Positive COVID-19 cases in Baltimore City are 23% lower than they were four weeks ago, according to the city’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Meanwhile, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott urged city residents to stay safe by wearing masks, socially distancing and limiting indoor gatherings to people in the same household.
“We've done everything differently in 2020,” Scott said at a COVID-19 update Tuesday afternoon. “New Year's Eve should not be any different.”
He also says the city will not relax restrictions on activities like indoor dining until health experts say it’s safe. The restrictions went into effect Dec. 11.
City health commissioner Letitia Dzirasa adds that hospitalizations remain high. As of Tuesday, ICUs are at 87% capacity and acute care units are at 84% capacity.
“We know our hospitals are continuing to experience this surge, continuing to see this influx of patients,” Dzirasa said. “And so we're still watching that very closely.”
As of Tuesday, the city has reported 30,986 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.