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. Maryland has administered more than 7.9 million COVID-19 vaccines, including:
-96.1% of Marylanders 65+
-83.6% of Marylanders 18+
-82.6% of all eligible Marylanders 12+
• COVID-19 DATA UPDATE:
-Last week, Maryland reported the lowest case rate in the nation
-Positivity rate down 20% over the last month
-Hospitalizations down 60% from peak
-COVID hospitalizations account for just 11% of total hospitalizations statewide
• COVID-19 BOOSTERS. In spite of limited and confusing federal guidance, Maryland health officials have spent the last several months building the infrastructure for a statewide operation for boosters.
As of today, Maryland has administered over 78,000 booster shots.
• “If you are confused about boosters, you are not alone. With so much conflicting guidance out there, I want to take a moment today to simply give Marylanders the current status.”
• MODERNA BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY. If you received a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and you are immunocompromised, you are also currently eligible for a booster shot.
However, there is still no approval or guidance yet on Moderna boosters for the wider population.
• J&J BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY. If you received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there is still no federal guidance whatsoever for boosters.
The governor has been pressing for action and is hopeful that we will see more progress in the next few weeks.
• BOOSTER OUTREACH. Maryland has launched a vigorous outreach effort for those Marylanders who are currently eligible for a booster shot.
• Maryland Health Department issued a bulletin directing providers to make boosters available to all eligible Marylanders
-Health officials are engaging directly with nursing/ congregate care facilities, local health depts, primary care physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, other providers
• Statewide call center is directly contacting eligible Marylanders and has scheduled over 30,000 appointments for booster shots
-Marylanders can now visit covidvax.maryland.gov to find out where Pfizer boosters are available near you
• The state will also be launching a series of television and radio ads encouraging eligible Marylanders to get their booster shot
• COVID-19 VACCINES FOR 5- TO 11-YEAR-OLDS. In anticipation of federal approval, Governor Hogan has directed state health officials to work closely with pediatricians, school systems, and local health departments to accelerate plans for vaccinating children.
• Governor Hogan: “The most important thing school systems can do right now to limit outbreaks and to prevent needless quarantines is utilize the robust testing capacity they have been given.”
• SCHOOL TESTING PROGRAM UPDATE. Last year, Maryland introduced a statewide testing program for schools, making up to 1 million tests available immediately for both public and nonpublic schools
• For the current school year, the Hogan admin has provided $182 million to local school systems for surveillance testing of the student population.
The application period for this program has been extended to Oct. 10. So far, only 13 public school systems are participating.
• Maryland Health Department’s testing program currently has 415,800 rapid tests available for schools to access.
-The state has provided over $2.7 billion in emergency federal funding directly to school systems over the past 18 months. Nearly $2 billion remains unutilized by the schools.
• EMERGENCY LEGISLATION TO INCREASE NURSING WORKFORCE. Governor Hogan announces that he will introduce emergency legislation to maximize the ability of hospitals to increase their nursing workforce.
• This legislation would make permanent a number of the steps the governor announced last week to mitigate staffing shortages.
• MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT UPDATE:
-Maryland has administered over 13,000 monoclonal antibody treatments
-These treatments have helped avoid approx. 600 hospitalizations and more than 250 deaths
• Monoclonal antibody therapy is available at more than 80 facilities statewide, and health officials have directed clinicians to step up their utilization of this treatment.
For more information, visit: CovidLink
Earlier today Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released a statement on a vaccine mandate for county employees.
The statement can be seen below:
Let me be clear – every person in Montgomery County and every employee of the Montgomery County government who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. It is the right health-care decision for you, your family, friends, co-workers, and community.
Currently, 78 percent of our County workforce is vaccinated and 16 percent have yet to report their vaccination status. https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/case-counts.html#mcg-vaccinations. To put this vaccination rate in perspective, if our County workforce was a state, it would be in the top 10 in vaccination rates. But we can and should do better, which is why we are working with the remaining employees and their union representatives to get every employee vaccinated and to register their vaccination status with the County. We are also looking at anomalies in the reporting data, which may also explain some of the lack of reporting. We are fortunate in Montgomery County to have union leaders who also agree that vaccinations are critical to the health and safety of our workforce and the public. Just last month, the County Council supported my effort to create a mandatory testing requirement for all unvaccinated employees – a constructive and collaborative approach embraced by our unions.
Unfortunately, several County Council members now want to rip up this plan and upend the collaborative approach we have developed with our employees. The recently proposed legislation to mandate vaccinations or be terminated is unneeded. This brinkmanship legislation is not smart policy. It will lead to staffing shortages, diminished public safety, additional financial costs to our taxpayers, and time-consuming legal entanglements – all outcomes I have successfully worked with our employees to avoid since the beginning of the pandemic.
Additionally, we know that there are activities that are high-risk – like eating indoors at restaurants – but the County has not mandated vaccination to address those high risks. To date, we have made a decision to focus our efforts on getting as many people vaccinated as possible and requiring masks when indoors in public spaces (except when eating or drinking).
It is hard to build enough trust to encourage any vaccine-hesitant employee to get vaccinated. Making threats and resorting to a “get a vaccine or else you’re fired in 40 days” policy is not the right approach considering the progress we have made in Montgomery County. Additionally, many of our employees served the community from the beginning of the pandemic when we didn’t have adequate protective equipment and when we knew so little about the virus. These employees put their lives – and the lives of their families – at risk throughout this pandemic. We owe it to them and to ourselves to continue our current efforts. I encourage the County Council to table this legislation and work constructively with me, our employees, and our union partners on a solution that is right for our community.
Today’s $40,000 VaxCash Winner is From MoCo
Today (Saturday, May 29th), the VaxCash winner of the $40,000 was from MoCo. Maryland Lottery announced that the winner on the fifth day was from North Potomac.
Maryland lottery will continue to give away $40,000 each day until July 4th.
Here’s how it works:
Vax and you’re in.
The Maryland Lottery $2 Million VaxCash Promotion is a public outreach campaign consisting of a series of statewide drawings to help raise awareness and increase the number of Marylanders that are vaccinated for COVID-19.
Any Maryland resident 18 years old and above who has been vaccinated in Maryland is automatically registered for a chance to win each day of the promotion. It doesn’t matter when you were vaccinated; as soon as you are vaccinated, you are eligible to win until the promotion ends on July 4th, 2021.
$2 million in prizes.
Starting May 25th, one $40,000 winner will be randomly selected every day for 40 consecutive days. On July 4th, one lucky vaccinated Marylander will be randomly selected to receive $400,000!
Everybody wins.
Marylanders who have been vaccinated and those that choose to during the promotion period are already winning by protecting themselves, their loved ones and their communities against COVID-19. And during the promotion, they can also win big bucks! GoVAX. Lets end COVID, Maryland.
Daily Cases in MoCo Continue Downward Trend as More than 61 Percent of County Residents Have Received At Least One Dose of Vaccine
Per Montgomery County:
The age group in the County with the lowest number of vaccinated individuals is residents between 16- and 35-years of age—and the County hopes to increase those numbers. Those in this group can make vaccine appointments through County health department-sponsored clinics and through retail pharmacies throughout the community. The County has one of the highest rates of vaccination in Maryland.
With an increasing number of vaccinated residents, fewer appointments are being offered at the State’s mass vaccination site on the campus of Montgomery College in Germantown. However, more clinics are being offered near where people live, shop and go to school. See clinic details and appointment links for more details.
Young people ages 12 to 17 need consent from a parent or guardian to receive the vaccine. Consent is given as part of the online appointment scheduling process, so young residents with an appointment do not need to have a parent or guardian with them. Young residents who walk up without an appointment must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to provide consent. All youth must bring proof of age to the vaccination site.
Residents of all ages who want to get a vaccine also use the State website to find pharmacies offering the vaccine and make appointments.
Teens can tell friends why they should get vaccinated through the Take Your Shot video PSA contest. The contest offers entrants from Montgomery County Public Schools five SSL hours. All entrants become eligible for valuable prizes. So far, about 21,400 of the estimated 40,000 eligible 12- to 15-year-olds in the County have received at least one vaccine.
Governor Hogan Announces Vaccine Incentive Partnership with Ledo Pizza
Per the State of Maryland:
Governor Larry Hogan today visited Ledo Pizza in Oxon Hill — Rivertowne as the company announced a new incentive program for Marylanders to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Maryland businesses have risen to the occasion time and time again throughout this pandemic, and offering incentives for vaccinations is another way they are stepping up,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to thank the team at Ledo Pizza for reaching out to us and offering to be part of this vaccination campaign. We encourage businesses across the state to offer incentives for both their customers and their employees to get vaccinated. The sooner we get more Marylanders vaccinated, the sooner we can bring this pandemic to an end.”
“As a proud Maryland company, we stand by the efforts of the dedicated professionals and leaders who have made this vaccination effort possible,” said James Beall, CEO of Ledo Pizza. “We encourage our fellow Marylanders to go out and get the vaccine.”
Ledo Pizza will be giving away one free 8” cheese pizza to participants who have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot in the state of Maryland during the months of May and June. The program will start May 13, 2021 and end on June 30, 2021, or until 10,000 free pizzas have been given out.
This incentive is valid at all Ledo Pizza locations in Maryland, and details are available at Ledo4Vaccines.com.
Gaithersburg-Based Novavax Initiates Pediatric Expansion for Phase 3 Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Vaccine
Per Novavax:
Novavax, a biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced that it has initiated a pediatric expansion of its Phase 3 clinical trial for NVX-CoV2373, the company’s recombinant protein vaccine candidate against COVID-19.
The additional arm of the ongoing PREVENT-19 pivotal trial will evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 in up to 3,000 adolescents aged 12-17 across up to 75 sites in the United States.
Participants will randomly receive either the vaccine candidate or placebo in two doses, administered 21 days apart. Two-thirds of volunteers will receive intramuscular injections of the vaccine and one-third will receive placebo. A blinded crossover is planned to take place six months after the initial set of vaccinations to ensure that all trial participants receive active vaccine. Participants will be monitored for safety for up to two years following the final dose.
“Through the expansion of our PREVENT-19 clinical trial, we hope to build upon the encouraging safety and efficacy data generated to-date in adults for our vaccine candidate and to play a significant global role in offering vaccination to as many people as possible across age groups to end the suffering caused by the pandemic,” said Gregory M. Glenn, M.D., President, Research and Development, Novavax.
Dr. Glenn will share an update regarding this arm of the PREVENT-19 trial during the 21st annual World Vaccine Congress taking place online, May 4-6. He will participate in two sessions during the congress, including a presentation and a panel discussion. Details are as follows:
Morning Plenary:
Date: Tuesday, May 4
Time: 9:10am – 10:40am EST
Title: Safety, efficacy, and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines
Moderator: Jakob Cramer, M.D., Head of Clinical Development, CEPI
Afternoon Session: COVID-19: Vaccine Response & Approaches
Date: Tuesday, May 4
Time: 3:30pm – 3:45pm EST
Title: Novavax COVID-19 Program Update
To register, please visit the World Vaccine Congress website here. Dr. Glenn’s presentation slides will be posted to the company’s website following the presentation here.
Governor Hogan Announces Financial Incentive Program for State Employees to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccinations
Per the State of Maryland:
Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland will offer a $100 financial incentive to state employees who elect to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“With this incentive program, we are further encouraging state employees to get vaccinated to help keep themselves, their families, and their communities healthy and safe,” said Governor Hogan. “Incentives like this are another way to reinforce the importance of getting vaccinated, and we strongly encourage businesses across the state to consider offering incentives to their workers as well. These vaccines are safe and effective, they’re free, and they’re readily available with or without an appointment.”
As of today, Maryland has reported more than 4.9 million vaccinations. According to official CDC data, 62% of Marylanders 18 and older, and 84.8% of Marylanders 65 and older, have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Incentive program for those who are fully vaccinated: All state employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible for this program. To receive the incentive, employees must provide their HR office with proof of vaccination, and agree to receive all subsequent CDC recommended booster vaccinations within 18 months of being fully vaccinated. The incentive is retroactive, so that all state employees who have already been fully vaccinated will also receive the $100 incentive payment.
Individuals who refuse subsequent CDC recommended booster vaccinations, after receiving the vaccination incentive, will be required to repay the state the $100 vaccination incentive for failure to adhere to the agreement.
The Maryland Department of Budget and Management is working with state employee unions to implement the incentive program.
No-Appointment Vaccinations Now Available at 9 Mass Vaccination Sites
Governor Larry Hogan today announced that Maryland has begun drive-thru, no-appointment vaccinations at the Six Flags America, Regency Furniture Stadium, and Ripken Stadium mass vaccination sites. Marylanders are now able to drive up to these sites for a vaccination without an appointment.
Maryland providers have now administered more than 4.43 million vaccines. According to CDC data, 58.9% of Marylanders 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 83.5% of Marylanders 65 and older.
“Expanding no-appointment vaccinations is another way we are working to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated,” said Governor Hogan. “Our goal throughout this massive effort remains the same—to provide a vaccine to every single Marylander who wants one.”
No-appointment vaccinations are now available at nine mass vaccination sites:
NEW: Six Flags America Theme Park (Pfizer)
13710 Central Ave.
Bowie, MD 20721
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
NEW: Regency Furniture Stadium (Pfizer)
11765 St. Linus Dr.
Waldorf, MD 20602
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
NEW: Ripken Ironbirds Stadium (Pfizer)
873 Long Dr.
Aberdeen, MD 21001
Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
M&T Bank Stadium (Pfizer)
1101 Russell St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (Pfizer)
1 W Pratt St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
NOTE: Baltimore City residents only
Greenbelt Metro Station (Pfizer)
5717 Greenbelt Metro Dr.
Greenbelt, MD 20740
Monday-Tuesday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday-Thursday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Moderna)
550 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401
Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.*
Wicomico Youth & Civic Center (Pfizer)
500 Glen Ave.
Salisbury, MD 21804
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Hagerstown Premium Outlets (Pfizer)
900 Premium Outlets Blvd.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Note that walk-up times and vaccination capacity may vary, and individuals should be prepared to wait, depending on demand. Individuals in need of only a second dose may utilize walk-up lines. Only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The fastest way to get through a mass vaccination site and be guaranteed a vaccine is by pre-registering at covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX.
*Note that no-appointment vaccinations will not be offered at these sites on the days of large sporting events.
County Pauses Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Per Montgomery County:
Following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Montgomery County health officials announced today that they will pause the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine after six women recipients who were between 18 and 48 nationwide developed rare episodes involving blood clots within two weeks of vaccination. The decision to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes after more the 6.8 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the United States. The CDC and the FDA will examine possible links between the vaccine and the blood clots and determine whether the FDA should continue to authorize use of the vaccine.
“While questions remain about the rare occurrence of blood clots in some individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we are operating from an abundance of caution in pausing the use of the vaccine for our residents. To date, we have not had any reported cases to us involving Montgomery County residents,” said Dr. Travis Gayles, Montgomery County health officer. “Anyone who has received the J&J vaccine and develops a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. If a health care provider has a patient reporting the above symptoms following vaccination, they are asked to report these events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.”
The County had approximately 960 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on hand for appointments today at the mass vaccination site in Germantown. Those doses will be substituted with first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. No other County-operated vaccination sites are currently using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“This morning’s news regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is causing concern for many and it is understandable,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Although the cases of adverse reactions to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are extremely rare, I applaud the decision by the FDA, CDC, and MDH (Maryland Department of Health) to immediately pause the use of this vaccine as a precaution. I am one of millions who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and I have felt no side effects. Until further notice our health department will be substituting Pfizer doses for the Johnson & Johnson doses. At this point, we will continue to monitor the situation and we will keep you informed as we learn more. I encourage anyone who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to continue to follow developing news on this situation and follow the advice of health experts.”
The County received 7,020 doses of Pfizer this week, a decrease from last week’s delivery of 10,730 doses. If there are any additional changes to clinic schedules, the County will notify people who have appointments.
”I’d like to share some positive news on the covid vaccination rates in Montgomery County.
41% of residents have received at least one dose
24% of residents have been fully vaccinated
Of those who have received at least one dose is, the breakdown of the vaccination type is:
53% Pfizer
40% Moderna
7% Johnson & Johnson
The FDA and CDC’s guidance to pause administration of the J&J vaccine will result in the county having to reschedule some appointments. Individuals who have received the J&J vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”
Maryland Moves Into Phase 2B Starting Today
Based on the state’s accelerating vaccination rate and an anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, Maryland is now in Phase 2B of its vaccination plan.
Eligibility will continue to expand rapidly: the vaccine will soon be available to all Marylanders over the age of 16.
Phase 2B (Phase that begins today)
Marylanders ages 16+ with underlying medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 illness
Marylanders ages 16+ with disabilities who are receiving SSI or SSDI benefits, Maryland Medicaid EID individuals, Maryland Medicaid REM recipients, and Marylanders receiving TDAP benefits
Marylanders receiving long term services and supports through the state’s Medicaid waiver and state plan services (learn more)
Eligibility opens Tues., March 30. Eligible Marylanders may now pre-register for vaccination at a mass vaccination site.
Phase 2C
Marylanders 55 and older
Essential workers in critical industries, including construction workers, food services, utilities, transportation, financial services, IT and other infrastructure (learn more)
Phase 3
General population, including healthy adults ages 16+
