Maryland opens COVID-19 appointments to everyone older than 16

ANNAPOLIS. LET’S LISTEN IN RIGHT NOW. OF ALL MARYLANDERS OVER THE AGE OF 65 HAVE BEEN VACCINATED. ON TUESDAY, WE WENT INTO PHASE 2B OF OUR COVID-19 VACCINE PLAN. ALL MARYLANDERS AGE 16 AND OLDER WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR DISABILITIES ARE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE TO BE VACCINATED. ACCORDIG TO THE CDC NEARLY 90% OF ALL OF THOSE HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID-19 HAVE HAD AN UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITION. SO GETTING THESE VIGILS VACCINATED WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS FROM THE VIRUS. A STATE OF MARYLAND HAS NOW ADMINISTERED TWO MILLION 760,176 COVID-19 VACCINES INCLUDING MORE THAN 140,000 IN JUST PAST 48 HOURS. NOW AVERAGING OVER 57,000 SHOTS PER DAY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FASTEST RATES IN AMERICA. WE ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED. THAT A NUMBER OF HIGHLY TRANSMISSIBLE VARIANTS ARE RAPIDLY SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PARTICULARLY IN NEW YORK NEW JERSEY AND THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND THEY APPEAR TO BE MOVING DOWN THE EAST COAST. NOW INCLUDING OUR NEIGHBORING STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE. WHILE WE CONTINUE TO DO BETTER THAN MOST STATES. WE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE TO THESE VARIANTS AND VIRUSES DON’T RECOGNIZE. STATE BORDERS WE’RE DOING SEQUENCING TESTING FOR VARIANTS AT ONE OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS IN THE COUNTRY. AND THIS HAS ENABLED US TO IDENTIFY. 677 CASES OF COVID-19 VARIANTS IN MARYLAND 86% OF WHIC ARE THE B117 OR UK VARIANT? WE ALSO HAVE DETECTED AT LEAST SIX OTHER VARIANTS INCLUDING THE NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA SOUTH AFRICA. AND BOTH THE B1 AND THE NEW B2 BRAZILIAN STRAINS WE ARE QUITE LITERALLY IN A RACE BETWEEN THESE VARIANTS AND THE VACCINES. ACROSS AMERICA THESE VARIANTS ARE DRIVING AN INCREASE IN NEW INFECTIONS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS. PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNGER PEOPLE HERE IN OUR STATE WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE PRIMARILY IN BALTIMORE CITY. AND IN BALTIMORE COUNTY WHICH IS WHY WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE A CAUTIOUS SAFE AND BALANCED APPROACH TOWARD OUR HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY. IT’S ALSO WHY WE CONTINUE TO STRONGLY URGE MARYLANDERS. TO CONTINUE DOING THE THINGS THAT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY KEPT US SAFE. TO DO THEM FOR JUST A WHILE LONGER BECAUSE WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. THIS VIRUS IS STILL VERY MUCH WITH US. WHILE SOME STATES HAVE LIFTED MASKED MANDATES AND ALL OF THEIR RESTRICTIONS OUR STATE MASKING ORDER REMAINS IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT OVER THE PAST YEAR ALL OF THE DATA AND ALL OF THE SCIENCE HAVE PROVEN THAT THE VERY SIMPLE STEP OF WEARING MASKS CONTINUES TO BE THE SINGLE BEST MITIGATION STRATEGY. WE HAVE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. WE’RE ALSO CONTINUING TO ADVISE AGAINST TRAVEL TO STATES WITH HIGH RATES. AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET TESTED UPON YOUR RETURN IF YOU DO TRAVEL TO ONE OF THESE STATES. IN OUR EFFORT TO WIN THIS RACE AGAINST THESE VARIANTS IN ADDITION TO DOING AS MANY VACCINATIONS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. WE’RE ALSO FOCUSED ON PRIORITIZING VACCINES FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE MARYLANDERS AND THOSE IN HARD TO REACH AREAS OF THE STATE. EARLIER TODAY THE FIRST FEDERAL MOBILE VACCINATION UNITS IN THE NATION ARRIVED AT THE MARYLAND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND HEADQUARTERS IN REISTERSTOWN. IN THE COMING DAYS THESE 32 FOOT TRAILERS WILL BE FANNING OUT ACROSS THE STATE. TOGETHER ALONG WITH SPECIAL FEMA STRIKE TEAMS TO HELP US GET MORE SHOTS INTO ARMS AND REMOTE AREAS AND ZIP CODES THAT RANK HIGH ON THE CDC’S SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX. THIS OPERATION BUILDS ON THE MOBILE CLINICS THAT THE STATE LAUNCHED LAST MONTH. WITH THE MARYLAND VACCINE EQUITY TASK FORCE, WHICH HAS COMPLETED OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING NEARLY 100 MISSIONS. THEY’RE ADDING ADDITIONL CLINICS NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DAY INCLUDING THIS WEEK AT MOUNT ZION CHURCH IN HARFORD COUNTY SACRED HEART CHURCH IN BALTIMORE CITY AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER IN SILVER SPRING. I WANT TO COMMEND GENERAL JANINE BURKHEAD AND HER ENTIRE TEAM AT THE MARYLAND VACCINE EQUITY TASK FORCE. THANKS TO THEIR INCREDIBLE EFFORTS ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE CONTINUE TO SEE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE VACCINATION RATE AND THE HARD-HIT ZIP CODES INCLUDING A 100% 1 108% INCREASE IN GLEN ARDEN. WHERE WE OPENED A MAJOR EQUITY TASK FORCE CLINIC 97% INCREASE IN MONDAWMIN. FOCUS AREA FOR OUR BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER SITE AND A 163% INCREASE IN SOMERSET COUNTY WHERE WE HELD OUR FIRST MOBILE CLINIC. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TWICE THIS WEEK RECOGNIZED THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR HAVING ONE OF THE NATION’S FIRST AND MOST ADVANCED EQUITY PLANS. IN FEBRUARY, WE ASKED EACH COUNTY TO APPOINT A LIAISON TO OUR VACCINE EQUITY TASK FORCE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT WE ASKED THEM TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN EQUITY PLANS FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE STILL HAVE NOT DONE SO. SO THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS NOW REQUIRING. COUNTY HEALTH OFFICERS TO IMMEDIATELY SUBMIT THEIR FINALIZED EQUITY PLANS NO LATER THAN MONDAY APRIL 5TH. THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING EACH COUNTY WITH A TARGETED LIST OF UNDERSERVED ZIP CODES. AND A LIST OF SPECIFIC CONGREGATE FACILITIES IN THEIR JURISDICTION, WHICH WE NEED THEM TO CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS ON TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT LEAVE ANYONE IN THEIR COUNTIES BEHIND. ON TUESDAY. I HAD ANOTHER MEETING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE. AND AS PROMISED THIS WEEK, WE BEGAN TO SEE AND INCREASE SUPPLY OF VACCINES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS PLEDGED THAT NEXT WEEK AND IN THE WEEKS AHEAD. WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE A SIMILAR SUPPLY. AS A RESULT OF THE ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE BUILT ARE RAPIDLY ACCELERATING VACCINATION RATE AND FINALLY THAT CRITICAL INCREASE IN VACCINE SUPPLY. WE LIKELY WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE DAYS AHEAD REGARDING FURTHER ACCELERATION OF VACCINE ELIGIBILITY PHASES. IN PREPARATION FOR THAT EFFECTIVE TODAY ARE IMMEDIATELY OPENING. PRE-REGISTRATION TO PHASE THREE MEANING ALL MARYLANDERS AGE 16 AND OLDER LET ME REPEAT THAT AS OF TODAY EVERY SINGLE MARYLANDER WHO WANTS A COVID-19 VACCINE CAN NOW PRE-REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT AT A MASS VACCINATION SITE. WE JUST LOST THAT LIVE FEED OF GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN’S LATEST COVID-19 RESPONSE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE’RE HEARING HIM BUT RIGHT NOW HE JUST MADE SOME NEWS AS OF TODAY ANYONE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND AGE 16 OR OLDER CAN PRE-REGISTER TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE SHOT EFFECTIVE APRIL 27. I’M UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE THAT LIVE FEEDBACK. LET’S GO BACK TO GOVERN MARIO 2. BUT HAVE STILL NOT YET BEEN VACCINATED. WILL CONTINUE TO BE PRIORITIZED. WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 3,000 POINTS OF VACCINE DISTRIBUTION ACROSS THE STATE. INCLUDING 227 NURSING HOMES AND 1700 ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. WE’VE NOW EXPANDED TO 320 PHARMACIES MORE THAN 100 DOCTORS OFFICES. WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE 38 HOSPITALS AND 24 HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ASSISTING LAST WEEK. WE ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF SIX ADDITIONAL STATE MASS VACCINATION SITES. FOR A TOTAL OF 12 ALL OF WHICH WILL BE OPEN AND FULLY OPERATIONAL IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. A MASS VACCINATION SITE OPENED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY THIS WEEK WHICH WILL TRANSITION TO A HIGHER VOLUME STATE-RUN SITE. NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7TH MASS VAC SITE WILL OPEN IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY AT THE GREENBELT METRO STATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FEMA. THIS SITE WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADMINISTER UP TO 3000 SHOTS PER DAY AND WE’LL PRIMARILY SERVE PRINCE GEORGIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN UNDERSERVED ZIP CODES IDENTIFIED BY THE VACCINE EQUITY TASK FORCE. ALSO NEXT WEEK IN ADDITION TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY. WE ARE OPENING A MASS VACCINATION SITE IN IN BALTIMORE COUNTY AT TIMONIUM. THE FOLLOWING WEEK OF APRIL 12TH WE LAUNCHED MASS VACCINATION SITES IN FREDERICK COUNTY AT THE FREDERICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND AN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AT THE NAVY MARINE ORPS MEMORIAL STADIUM WE WILL. ALSO OPEN A MASS VAC SITE AT RIPKEN STADIUM IN HARFORD COUNTY THE WEEK OF APRIL 19TH. AND AT THE MALL IN COLUMBIA IN HOWARD COUNTY THE WEEK OF APRIL 26. IN ADDITION BEGINNING TOMORROW THE EASTERN SHORE MASS VACCINATION SITE IN SALISBURY WILL OPEN A NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY WALK UP LINE FOR ANY ELIGIBLE. MARYLANDER. OUR PLAN IS TO CONTINUE TO ADD ADDITIONAL. NO APPOINTMENT LINES AT OTHER MASS VACCINATION SITES AS WELL. HOWEVER, WE STILL RECOMMEND THAT THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT YOU GET A VACCINE IN ANY OF OUR SITES IS THE PRE-REGISTER AND A SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AGAIN AT COVID-19MARYLAND.GOV TO ENSURE THAT A VACCINE AND AN APPOINTMENT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU. I HAVE DIRECTED THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING. TO IMMEDIATELY WORK WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONS ON PLANS TO REOPEN OUR SENIOR CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE. PRIOR TO THESE SAFE REOPENINGS WE ARE CLOSED POD VACCINATION CLINICS WILL BE…