By Nate Gilgeous
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that Maryland has officially surpassed the milestone of 2 million COVID-19 vaccines administered.
In total, Hogan said 2,037,695 vaccines have been administered, and the state is averaging 43,034 shots per day.
“Maryland has led the nation throughout this COVID-19 crisis and we are continuing to lead with our rapidly accelerating vaccination efforts,” said Hogan, describing it as “incredible progress.”
Hogan also announced that, based on the state’s accelerating vaccination rate and an anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, Maryland will enter Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution plan next week.
“We continue to leverage every possible resource we can to get shots into arms as efficiently and equitably as possible,” said Hogan. “We have built the infrastructure capacity and we are being promised the supply to be able to vaccinate every Marylander in the next couple months.”
Beginning on Tuesday, the state will make groups in Phase 2 eligible in waves based on risk factors, including age, essential occupations, and underlying health conditions, before opening it up to the general population in Phase 3. All Marylanders age 16 and older will be eligible for vaccines by Tuesday, April 27.
Here is an outline of the vaccination plan:
- Phase 2A: Tuesday, March 23
Eligibility opens for all Marylanders 60 and older. According to Maryland Department of Health data, nearly 90% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths are in the 60+ age range.
- Phase 2B: Tuesday, March 30
Eligibility opens for all Marylanders 16 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, nearly 90% of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 have an underlying medical condition.
- Phase 2C: Tuesday, April 13
Eligibility opens for all Marylanders 55 and older, as well as essential workers in critical industries, including food services (i.e., restaurant workers), utilities, construction workers, transportation, financial services, IT, and other infrastructure.
- Phase 3: Tuesday, April 27.
Eligibility opens for all Marylanders 16 and older.
Individuals currently eligible in Phase 1 will continue to be prioritized at the state’s mass vaccination sites.
In addition, the governor announced a series of new initiatives to ensure vaccine equity and expand the state’s distribution network. He said beginning this week, primary care practices throughout Maryland will join the state’s vaccination effort, administering vaccines directly to vulnerable populations they serve. To help achieve more equitable vaccine distribution, the first 37 practices were chosen for the program based on their connection to largely African American and Hispanic communities and areas with less geographic access to vaccination sites.
The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission has established a Community Vaccination Grant Program to support hospital efforts to engage in community-based vaccination efforts, he said. The program, made possible by the one-of-a-kind “Maryland Model” healthcare finance system, will provide $12 million for community-based vaccination initiatives led by hospitals.
The Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force, led by Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, will launch mobile clinics in hard-to-reach areas utilizing mobile units provided by the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Each mobile vaccine bus has the versatility to be used as a walk-in clinic or a drive-up site to administer between 60 to 160 vaccines per mission, he said.
A mass vaccination site opened Thursday at Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury. And, Hogan said a sixth mass vaccination site will open on Thursday, March 25, in Hagerstown. The governor will announce the locations of additional mass vaccination sites next week.