@BryanRenbaum
Maryland will get six new coronavirus mass vaccination sites in April, which will bring the total number of mass vaccination sites in the state from six to 12, Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday.
The existing mass vaccination sites are located in Baltimore City (2), Prince George’s County (1), Wicomico County (1), Charles County (1), and Washington County (1).
“The week of April 5th the Timonium Fairgrounds site in partnership with Baltimore County will transition into a state mass vaccination site. That same week we will also open a new state mass vaxx site at Montgomery College in Germantown. The following week, of April 12, we will open mass vaccination sites in both Anne Arundel and Frederick counties. We will also be opening mass vaccination sites in Howard County and in Harford County in the following weeks,” Hogan said at a news conference at the State House in Annapolis.
Hogan added: “We also continue to have ongoing discussions with other counties and other partners regarding potential additional vaccination site locations.”
Hogan’s announcement comes the very day the state entered Phase 2A of its vaccine distribution plan, which makes all Marylanders age 60 and older eligible for vaccination.
Hogan said that when the state enters Phase 2B of its vaccine distribution plan on March 30 that eligibility will expanded to include all residents with disabilities who age 16 and older. Phase 2B was originally limited to Marylanders in that age group with “underlying medical conditions.”
Hogan reiterated that on April 13 the state will move into Phase 2c of its vaccine distribution plan, which will make all Marylanders age 55 and older and many essential workers eligible for vaccination-and that on April 27-when the state moves into Phase 3 of its vaccine distribution plan-that all Marylanders age 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination.
Hogan said that next week he expects the state to receive a “significant increase” in vaccines from the federal government, however he emphasized that the exact number of vaccines slated for delivery is not yet known. Hogan also noted that just because someone is eligible to be vaccinated that that does not necessarily mean it will happen quickly due to limited supply of the vaccine.
Hogan urged Marylanders who may be uncertain about whether they want to be vaccinated to do so as soon as they are able to get an appointment.
“I strongly encourage all Marylanders to please get vaccinated when it is your turn to do so. These COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be safe and effective and they are administered under medical supervision. And getting vaccinated is absolutely vital to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and to returning to a normal life once again.”
There are 401,427 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland as of Tuesday morning, according to the Department of Health, and 8,010 people in Maryland have died from the virus. The state’s positivity rate is at 4.45%, which is within CDC recommended guidelines for containment. Maryland has conducted more than 8.5 million COVID-19 tests.
Maryland’s health care providers have administered 2,252,974 doses of the coronavirus vaccine. That includes 1,451,589 (24.01%) first doses and 743,876 (12.304%) second doses. More than 801,000 people in Maryland are fully vaccinated, which is about 13% of the state’s total population.
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