'COVID Fatigue,' 4th Wave Hit Baltimore: Health Commissioner

BALTIMORE, MD — While over a quarter of Baltimore residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the city's health commissioner urged the community to keep taking precautions to prevent themselves from becoming infected.

"We are in the city's fourth wave," Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said at a news conference this week.

"Currently, the city has widespread community transmission," the health commissioner said Monday, reporting on the coronavirus in Baltimore.

As of Wednesday, Baltimore has had 50,633 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 997 deaths from COVID-19, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

"New case rates and hospitalizations are increasing, especially among our population under the age of 70," Dzirasa said. "It is safe to assume that people outside of your household are potential carriers of the novel coronavirus."

Baltimore has seen a "rapid rise in cases for a sustained period," Dzirasa said.

"We recognize that city residents are ready to return back to normal, and 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," Dzirasa said.

"Coronavirus variants are circulating throughout the Baltimore metro region," Dzirasa said.

More people have been dying from COVID-19 in Baltimore in recent weeks, Dzirasa said, noting that three deaths a day have been attributed in the city to COVID-19. The city is nearing 1,000 COVID-19 deaths.

The variant is believed to be more contagious than other strains of the virus.

"We've also seen increased mobility in city residents for the past few weeks," she continued. “Mobility, or the rate of people moving around Baltimore City, is elevated. It is now approaching what it was in pre-pandemic time," Dzirasa said. "All of this is likely contributing to a faster increase in the rate of new cases."

There was good news, she said.

More than 26 percent of Baltimore residents have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or the single-dose shot, state health officials reported Wednesday.

"As a reminder, you are fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose and a two-dose series, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine," Dzirasa said.

"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. "Please continue all the same behaviors that have kept us safe to date," Dzirasa stated, pointing to this guidance:

• Wear a well-fitted mask over your nose and your mouth.
• Keep your distance from others.
• Avoid crowds or large gatherings.

Where To Get Vaccinated

The city has its own vaccine website to register: https://covax.baltimorecity.go.

The state also has a mass vaccination preregistration page: https://coronavirus.maryland.g...

Multiple sites offer vaccinations without appointments in Baltimore:

• Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (Pfizer), 1 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201; open 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday to Saturday; Baltimore residents only
• M&T Bank Stadium (Pfizer): 1101 Russell St., Baltimore, MD 21230; open 9 a.m to 4 pm. Monday to Saturday

Walk-up times and vaccination capacity may vary, officials say, and those who do not have appointments should be prepared to wait.

Only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Search for the nearest location to get the COVID-19 vaccine.