PGCPS Starts Vaccinating Teachers; CEO Considers Hybrid Classes

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County will start vaccinating its teachers and staff this weekend. School system CEO Monica Goldson announced the breakthrough Thursday, indicating that she is mulling a move toward hybrid classes.

The Prince George's County Health Department will start giving shots Saturday at the Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. Additional clinics will begin next week at the Kaiser Permanente Lanham Rehabilitation Center.

The coronavirus immunizations will be available for six to eight weeks. If a teacher has to miss class for their appointment, they will inform their students and prerecord lessons.

"The safety of our students and staff has been my top priority as we navigate these unprecedented times," Goldson said in a newsletter. "I am encouraging all Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) employees to get vaccinated for their own safety and that of the children and families we serve."

Prince George's is in the third wave of its inoculation rollout, known as phase 1C. Despite this, the county has vaccinated residents at the slowest rate in the state. Health officials are still trying to get doses to everybody eligible in stages 1A and 1B.

These residents could get the immunization in the first period:

• Hospital and frontline health care workers
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
• Frontline first responders and essential public safety employees
• All licensed, registered and certified health care providers
• Department of Corrections health care staff and officers

These locals followed in phase 1B:

• Everybody age 75 and up
• Assisted living and other congregate living facilities
• Critical government leadership for continuity of operations
• Teachers and support staff
• Child care workers

Once the county catches up on the residents in the first two groups, these Prince Georgians will be next in line in stage 1C:

• Everybody age 65 to 74
• Public safety and public health care employees not covered in phase 1A
• Grocery store, food and agriculture, postal service and public transit staffers
• Other essential workers at high risk for exposure

With declining coronavirus metrics, PGCPS promised to consider hybrid options as the semester progresses. Goldson will give a reopening update in mid-February. This development came a week after Gov. Larry Hogan pressured schools to offer widespread hybrid classes by March 1.

"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGCPS community has shown that we are in this together," the CEO added. "I have greatly appreciated the support you have shown during these difficult times."

More information about PGCPS's vaccination effort is available at this link.

To see when you'll be eligible for the inoculation, read Patch's explainer. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot. Catch up on the latest coronavirus infection and vaccination metrics in Prince George's County by heading to our latest numbers update.

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• How To Get Coronavirus Vaccine In Prince George's County
• MD Pharmacies Will Give Vaccine; Hogan Touts Network During Visit
• Assisted Living Sites Get Coronavirus Vaccine In Prince George's
• After 51-Day Shutdown, Indoor Dining Resumes In Prince George's

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