Governor Hogan is holding a press conference to provide a Covid update to Marylanders.
Below you’ll see notes from his press conference, as tweeted by his Deputy Communications Director, Kata Hall:
• VACCINE UPDATE:
-79.5% of Marylanders age 18 and older have been vaccinated
-94% of Marylanders 65 and older have been vaccinated
-Daily vaccination rate up 20% over last month
• COVID-19 DATA UPDATE:
-COVID hospitalizations are down 70% from their peak
-State remains far below any of the 3 pandemic triggers in our protocols
-Only 9% of current hospitalizations are COVID-related
• NURSING HOMES UPDATE:
-79% of staff at Maryland nursing homes have been vaccinated
-18 facilities are averaging above 95% for staff vaccination rates
• Our state dashboard will continue to highlight which nursing home facilities fall into these categories on a weekly basis.
• VACCINATION PROTOCOLS FOR NURSING HOME STAFF. Effective immediately, employees of Maryland nursing homes will be required to show proof of vaccination OR adhere to regular screening and #COVID19 testing.
All employees will be required to get their first shot by September 1.
• Nursing homes that fail to comply with these protocols and/or fail to report their vaccination data will be subject to increased fines, civil penalties, and additional enforcement actions.
• VACCINATION PROTOCOLS FOR HOSPITAL STAFF. Effective immediately, all employees of Maryland hospitals will be required to show proof of vaccination OR adhere to regular screening and #COVID19 testing.
All employees will be required to get their first shot by September 1.
• BOOSTERS. Following this morning’s announcement that boosters won’t be made more widely available until late September, @GovLarryHogan calls on the federal government to make booster shots available immediately for seniors and other vulnerable populations.
• ANTIBODY TESTING PROGRAM. In preparation for booster shots, Maryland has launched a new antibody testing program for nursing home residents to ascertain their current levels of immunity. The pilot program includes 500 residents.
• @GovLarryHogan calls for full FDA approval of #COVID vaccines as soon as possible. Calls it the “most significant hurdle to reaching those who are still hesitant.”
• With more and more children heading back to school, Governor Hogan also calls on federal officials to expedite approval for 5- to 11-year-olds to receive vaccines:
“We are told that this approval is still months away, but that is simply not soon enough or good enough.”
• MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY. Thousands of Marylanders have already received monoclonal antibody therapy, which is the only approved and effective treatment for COVID-positive individuals who are symptomatic, but not yet severe enough to require hospitalization.
• Monoclonal antibodies have proven to be effective against the Delta variant, and state health officials are strongly recommending much wider utilization of them for patients with mild to moderate COVID symptoms.
Notes from Governor Hogan’s 8/5/21 press conference (most notes courtesy of Kata D. Hall)
• VACCINE UPDATE:
-77.9% of Maryland adults are vaccinated
-93.4% of Maryland seniors are vaccinated
-Maryland continues to sustain a daily vaccine rate of more than 11,000 shots per day
• Florida, Texas, and Louisiana are accounting for 1/3 of all new cases.
• COVID DATA UPDATE:
-Hospitalizations down 83% from their peak
-Deaths down 94% from their peak
-4th lowest positivity rate in the nation
• Delta variant is much more serious than original virus or any variant.
• DELTA VARIANT:
-2-4 times more contagious than the original virus
-Accounts for nearly 100% of new sequenced cases in Maryland
-May cause more severe illness than earlier variants
• VACCINATION PROTOCOLS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES. Effective September 1, state employees working in congregate settings will be required to show proof of vaccination OR adhere to strict masking requirements and submit to regular #COVID19 testing.
• Read the @MDHealthDept order on state employee vaccination protocols: health.maryland.gov/phpa/Documents…
• NURSING HOMES. The governor urges private operators of the state’s 227 nursing homes to institute similar vaccination requirements for employees.
We are seeing an uptick in unvaccinated staff infections, which was a source of earlier outbreaks among nursing home residents.
• MASKING. @MDHealthDept continues to strongly recommend that unvaccinated individuals wear a face covering in indoor settings and situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• Each childcare facility, youth camp, local school system, and authority may set their own policies regarding masks and face coverings.
The state is *not* imposing any new restrictions or mandates at this time.
• VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS:
-Less than 0.01% of fully vaccinated Marylanders have been hospitalized
-Less than 0.001% of fully vaccinated Marylanders have died
-99.99% of fully vaccinated Marylanders have remained free of serious illness
• @GovLarryHogan: “While the pandemic is currently under control in Maryland, the unfortunate reality is that COVID and its variants are going to be with us in one form or another for the foreseeable future…”
• 9a) “…We need to continue to adapt, to take the right precautions, and to look out for one another, which is exactly how we have gotten through this pandemic together so far.”
Governor Hogan will provide a live COVID-19 update today at 2 p.m.
The press conference will be available via Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube: bit.ly/GovHoganYouTube
The Montgomery County Council, sitting as the Board of Health, is also scheduled to introduce, hold a public hearing and vote on a Board of Health Regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Montgomery County on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at 2 p.m.
We will have coverage of both available right here on The MoCoShow.
Maryland to Give Away $2 Million in Prize Money and Notes From Governor Hogan’s 5/20 Press Conference
Notes courtesy of Governor Hogan’s deputy communications director, Kata D. Hall
• The governor announces a new partnership between @MDLottery and @MDHealthDept to provide $2 million in prize money for Marylanders who get vaccinated against #COVID19.
• From Tuesday, 5/25 through Saturday, July 3, @MDLottery will randomly select and award a $40,000 prize every day to a vaccinated Marylander. That’s 40 drawings over 40 days for the chance to win $40,000 each day.
• On the Fourth of July, a final drawing will be held to award one lucky vaccinated Marylander a grand prize of $400,000. That’s a total of $2 million in prize money for vaccinated Marylanders.
• To win you must be 18 and older, a Maryland resident, and have received a #COVID19 vaccine here in Maryland.
Anyone 18+ who has already been vaccinated in Maryland at any time is also eligible and will automatically be entered to win.
• If you have *not* yet been vaccinated, the sooner you get your shot, the more lottery drawings you will be eligible for.
• All winners will be notified by @MDHealthDept and all funding is being provided from @MDLottery’s Marketing Fund.
• COVID DATA UPDATE:
-7-day positivity rate (2.06%) is lowest it’s been during the pandemic and 8th lowest in America
-Daily positivity rate (1.31%) is also the lowest it’s been during the pandemic
-Case rate (5.5 per 100K) is lowest since April 4, 2020 and 6th lowest in nation
• “If you needed one more good reason, then go out and get vaccinated for your chance to win a share of this $2 million. So remember Maryland—get your shot for a shot to win.”
