16 MD Jurisdictions In Coronavirus Red Zone: White House Report

MARYLAND — More than half of Maryland is in the "red zone," according to the latest White House COVID-19 report, which also says the remaining areas are in the "orange zone."

Baltimore City and 15 counties are in the “red zone,” meaning these 16 jurisdictions are experiencing high community transmission of the coronavirus.

"This rise in new cases may be attributed to a new type of COVID fatigue, where people are engaging in behaviors as if they've been vaccinated before they've actually received the vaccine," Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said this week, noting it takes two weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be fully vaccinated.

"Even if you have been fully vaccinated, you should still be using proven harm reduction strategies to protect yourself and others, because the majority of the population remains unvaccinated," Dzirasa said, urging people to wear masks, avoid crowds and keep their distance.

These are the red zone jurisdictions as of this week, according to the White House report:

• Baltimore County
• Baltimore City
• Prince George's County
• Anne Arundel County
• Harford County
• Howard County
• Frederick County
• Cecil County
• Washington County
• Charles County
• Allegany County
• Dorchester County
• Queen Anne's County
• Caroline County
• Garrett County
• Kent County

Orange zone counties, which have substantial virus transmission, include the following:

• Montgomery County
• Carroll County
• Wicomico County
• St. Mary's County

Although hospitalizations are down 2 percent since last week's report — with COVID-19 patients now accounting for 11 per 100 hospital beds — the report shows Maryland has the second-highest rate of patients in the nation hospitalized with the virus. The only state with a higher rate is Michigan.

Released Tuesday, the White House report covers hospitalizations through April 21, when state health officials said 1,279 patients were hospitalized with the virus.

In the past week, the number of COVID-19 patients in Maryland hospitals has decreased by 186; state health officials say there are 1,093 coronavirus patients in Maryland hospitals Wednesday, April 28.

Coronavirus Variant Activity In Maryland

Viruses mutate over time, and these changes result in variants. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports multiple variants have emerged around the world.

Of the variants that have been identified in Maryland, the White House COVID-19 report says 43 percent are the B.1.1.7 variant, known as the “U.K.” variant, which is believed to be more contagious.

"So far, scientific evidence suggests that the COVID-19 vaccines distributed in the United States under FDA Emergency Use Authorizations continue to be effective against these variants, but we must remain vigilant," according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

To limit the spread of the virus, the CDC recommends vaccination, physical distancing, mask wearing, hand-washing and, if exposed, following isolation and quarantine protocols.

How To Get Vaccinated In Maryland

All adults age 16 and up are eligible to be vaccinated in Maryland as of April 12.

There are multiple ways to find and preregister for the coronavirus vaccine in Maryland:

• Find the nearest vaccination site, input your ZIP code and schedule an appointment.
• Preregister for a mass vaccination site: https://onestop.md.gov/govax.
• Call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).
• Text "MDREADY" to 898-211 for text notifications about mass vaccination sites.
• Use vaccinefinder.org to see the nearest location with vaccines available. The website is run in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Those 16 and 17 years old will only be allowed to use clinics that offer the Pfizer vaccine, as it is the only one currently authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ages 16 and older.

9 Sites Don't Require Appointments

Nine mass vaccination sites in Maryland are offering vaccinations without appointments.

People should be prepared to wait in line if they choose to show up without preregistering.

Six Flags America Theme Park (Pfizer)
13710 Central Ave.
Bowie, MD 20721
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Regency Furniture Stadium (Pfizer)
11765 St. Linus Dr.
Waldorf, MD 20602
Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

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.

See Also:

• 14 MD Jurisdictions In Red Zone, 4th COVID Wave Hits
• 'COVID Fatigue,' 4th Wave Hit Baltimore: Health Commissioner