COVID-19 Vaccine Open To Marylanders 16 And Up Starting April 6

MARYLAND — All Marylanders aged 16 and above will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any mass vaccination site beginning Tuesday, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.

By Monday, April 12, all providers in the state — such as pharmacies and local health departments — will be required to administer shots to people 16 and up.

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

"I want to stress that even though we're opening up eligibility for everyone, that does not mean everyone will be able to immediately get an appointment," Hogan said. "But with the supply of doses increasing over the next month or so, a vaccine should be available for everyone who wants one."

Hogan's announcement was delivered about a month before President Joe Biden's goal of making all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1.

How To Pre-Register

All Marylanders age 16 and older can now pre-register for an appointment at a mass vaccination site by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829). Residents in phases one and two will continue to be prioritized for appointments.

More than 500,000 people have already pre-registered, the governor said, adding that the "best way to guarantee a vaccine ... is to pre-register."

"We urge Marylanders to please get vaccinated just as soon as you are able to. These vaccines are proven to be safe and effective and are provided at no cost," Hogan said. "Getting vaccinated will help keep you, your family, and your community healthy and safe."

Mass Vaccination Sites

Maryland has 12 mass vaccination sites available for pre-registration — and seven more are set to open this month.

Of those sites, three will open this week. They are located at:

• Greenbelt Metro Station (Prince George's County)*
• Maryland State Fairgrounds (Baltimore County)
• Montgomery College, Germantown (Montgomery County)

* This is a FEMA-operated site that will primarily serve Prince George's County residents.

Two more sites will open the week of April 12 — Frederick Community College in Frederick County and the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Anne Arundel County.

The Ripken Stadium site in Harford County will open the following week. The state is working to open a site at Howard County's Columbia Mall that week, as well.

Maryland currently has five active mass vaccination clinics. They are located at:

• The Baltimore Convention Center
• Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium
• Upper Marlboro's Six Flags America
• Waldorf's Regency Furniture Stadium
• Salisbury's Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
• Former Wolf Furniture store in the Hagerstown Premium Outlets

MD To Open More No-Appointment, Walk-Up Lines

More no-appointment, walk-up lines are coming to mass vaccination sites across the state.

Maryland opened its first one at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Friday.

On Tuesday, a no-appointment line will open at the Hagerstown Premium Outlets site. Another one will open at Baltimore's M&T Bank next week.

Hogan says other state mass vaccination sites will adopt this system in the coming weeks.

MD's COVID-19 Data; Hogan Urges Caution

Speaking at Monday's press conference, Hogan said the state's seven-day positivity rate and case rate per 100,000 residents are down slightly — while the number of new cases has dropped significantly.

The case rate per 100,000 residents is now 21.53. A day earlier, it was 21.94.

Meanwhile, the statewide positivity rate now sits at 5.79 percent. That's a decrease of 0.11 percent in the last 24 hours.

On Monday, Maryland recorded 859 new COVID-19 cases, its smallest one-day increase since March 23, according to state health department data. The latest addition pushes Maryland's cumulative total to 418,188 cases.

Despite these improvements, Hogan says the state is seeing an uptick in cases overall.

He has previously blamed the rise on the variants that are spreading across the East Coast.

Hogan said the state has detected at least six other variants, including the New York, California, South Africa, and both the B1 and B2 Brazilian strains.

Mask Mandate Still in Place

Marylanders are still required to wear face masks at public indoor facilities, outdoors when social distancing isn't possible, and in businesses and retail shops — including grocery stores and fitness centers.

Dr. Ted Delbridge, the executive director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, says Marylanders need to do their part by wearing a well-fitted mask that covers their nose and mouth and by standing at least 6 feet apart from others whenever possible.