While several key metrics used to track the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continued to decline Saturday in Maryland, health officials reported that cases of the two contagious virus variants detected in the state have increased over the past two weeks.

Maryland health officials reported 1,159 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, along with 32 fatalities. At the same time, hospitalizations, testing positivity and the state’s average rate of infections per capita declined.

But cases of the more contagious strains of the virus first detected in the U.K. and South Africa have more than doubled since they were first discovered in Maryland in January, a state health department spokesman said Friday.

As of Thursday, public health officials had confirmed 22 cases of the U.K. variant and seven cases of the South African variant, Charles Gischlar said in an email. Those strains were first detected in Maryland on Jan. 12 and Jan. 30, respectively.

Both variants are believed to be more easily transmittable than COVID-19, which has infected 370,136 Marylanders and killed 7,356 more since the health department began reporting its effects in March. Neither of the variants is believed to lead to more severe illness, but there is concern that COVID-19 vaccines could be less effective against the South African variant, known as B.1.351.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday attributed residents’ vigilance in following public health precautions to driving downward some of the key COVID-19 metrics as he announced a loosening of hospital visitation guidelines.

Public health officials say wearing masks, washing hands and practicing social distancing are still critical to prevent against infection until there’s herd immunity achieved via vaccination and to prevent the spread of variants.

The number of Marylanders hospitalized with the disease declined by 33 over the last 24 hours, with 1,192 in hospitals throughout the state Saturday. Of those hospitalized, 316 required intensive care, 10 fewer than a day earlier.

About 33,728 have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since March. Over the same time, more than 7.4 million tests for the disease have been completed, including about 41,000 over the last 24 hours.

Health officials also reported the state’s average testing positivity rate decreased to 4.76%, down 0.11 percentage points from a day earlier. That marks five days of decline for the rate, and the lowest figure since early November.

The state’s average case rate per 100,000 residents declined, too. Over the past seven days, Maryland has averaged 19 infections per 100,000 residents. It’s the fourth consecutive day that measure has declined and the lowest rate since early November.

The United States has averaged 30.4 infections per 100,000 people over the last week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only one Maryland jurisdiction topped the national rate.

Washington County paced the state in both testing positivity and average rate of infections, recording a spike in both metrics from Thursday to Friday. It reported an average testing positivity rate of about 9.47% Friday, and an average of 34.62 cases per 100,000 people — almost double the state’s rate, but still significantly lower than Washington’s pandemic peak of about one infection for every 1,000 people.

The Western Maryland county of about 151,000 residents added 139 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing its total case count to 12,030.

Not faring much better was Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The county of about 32,000 people reported the second-highest testing positivity and average case rates. Its testing positivity checked in at 7.16% Friday, while its average case rate was 28.63 cases per 100,000 residents.

Those same jurisdictions came in towards the middle of all counties in terms of the percentage of their populations that have received preliminary immunizations. Maryland’s second-most-populated jurisdiction, Prince George’s County, continues to trail all other jurisdictions by a wide margin, a notion Maryland officials have attributed to vaccine hesitancy.

Maryland continued its vaccination campaign, with at least 38,530 people having received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over the last 24 hours, according to state health department data.

The state achieved a milestone Friday, with 10% of its population having received preliminary immunizations. Both approved vaccines require two doses to protect against severe illness.

As of Saturday, 625,782 people had received their first dose, while 231,226 received their second shots, about 3.8% of Maryland’s population.

Maryland’s daily rate of vaccine doses administered continued to climb Friday, with the state averaging 26,444 immunizations per day over the last week. The average has increased every day for seven days in a row.