![]() ![]() “June 2021 data: 100% of COVID-19 deaths in Maryland occurred in people who were unvaccinated,” tweeted Michael Ricci, communications director for Gov. Madeleine O'Neill covers the Maryland State House and state issues for the USA TODAY Network.All COVID-19 deaths in Maryland last month were among unvaccinated people, the state said on Tuesday. Somerset County on the Eastern Shore and Garrett County in Western Maryland both have vaccination rates below 40%. But state data shows that some counties, particularly in rural parts of the state, are far behind in their vaccination rates. Nearly 80% of Maryland adults are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19. ![]() Though daily case numbers and hospitalizations are rising rapidly, state health officials say they are mostly among the unvaccinated. More: Wicomico County COVID-19 vaccine tracker: 44% of people fully vaccinated More: Wicomico County's COVID cases up 46.2% Maryland cases surge 22.8% Hogan allowed Maryland's COVID-19 state of emergency to expire on Sunday. "We’re being told that this approval is still months away but that is simply not soon enough," he said. As children prepare to return to school, Hogan said, approving vaccines for all ages should be a priority. Only children 12 and older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine right now. Hogan is also pushing for the federal government to advance full FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccines, which are currently approved on an emergency basis, and to expedite the approval of vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11. State health officials do not expect that the demand for booster shots will be so great that mass vaccination sites, which closed earlier this summer as more Marylanders got the vaccine, will need to reopen. "We think we should be ready soon to move forward with folks in the nursing homes and folks that are more at risk." "We’re a little concerned about waiting longer," Hogan said. Hogan said the administration of booster shots should begin as soon as possible. More: Top Democrats want Maryland to extend COVID-19 state of emergency due to surging numbersįederal health officials said Wednesday that booster shots will become available to some Americans, beginning with nursing home residents and other vulnerable adults, on Sept. More: Masks for students? In-person learning? How Wicomico schools will reopen as COVID spikes Hogan did call on the federal government to move quickly to begin administering booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hogan on Wednesday did not address staffing issues at nursing homes. The letter asks Hogan to consider temporarily loosening minimum staffing requirements around the vaccination deadline. "It’s a difficult situation to be in when a nursing home must choose between having unvaccinated staff or no staff at all," said Ciborowski, who signed onto the letter to Hogan. More: COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care workers: Does duty to patients trump right to refuse the shot?Īllison Ciborowski, the president of LeadingAge Maryland, emphasized that low vaccination rates are of particular concern in rural parts of the state where nursing homes may already be dealing with critical staffing shortages. More: 'Trust God to be our healer:’ As COVID-19 vaccine mandates grow, so are requests for religious exemptions The letter stated that a mandate would prevent staff from "shuffling" to new nursing homes to avoid individual facilities' vaccine requirements. "Governor, what you did today is very important because vaccination remains the single best tool to fight COVID-19, to avoid hospitalization and to avoid death."ĭeMattos and other leaders in the industry urged Hogan to mandate vaccines among all health care workers in a letter on Monday. "We are entering several challenging weeks of this COVID-19 surge," DeMattos said. Joe DeMattos, the president of the Health Facilities Associatíon of Maryland, said the mandate would "save lives." State health officials will double fines and increase civil penalties against nursing homes that do not comply. All nursing home and hospital employees will be required to show proof that they've received their first vaccine dose by Sept. ![]()
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