Maryland had its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic to date, as it reported 74 confirmed deaths on Saturday.
In addition to the new deaths, the state reported 1,150 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Maryland’s total number of cases now stands at 17,766, with a total of 797 deaths from the disease, according to the state’s website.
On Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced a three-phase plan to reopen Maryland’s economy, but reiterated that the state was not ready to start the process. He had previously released a set of four benchmarks that the state would first have to meet before the process could start.
“The number of new cases of COVID-19 is still rising,” Hogan said at his Friday press conference. “Maryland is not yet able to lift our restrictions. I am optimistic that if Marylanders continue staying home and continue practicing physical distancing a little while longer, our numbers would continue to plateau.”
Hogan added that he was hopeful that the process could begin in early May.