Havre de Grace Police Officers Get Coronavirus Vaccine

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Officers in Havre de Grace have begun receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Capt. Jon Krass provided the update during the Havre de Grace City Council meeting.

"Today our officers and staff began receiving the COVID-19 vaccination," Krass said Monday night. Officers and staff would continue getting vaccinated this week, he reported.

As of Tuesday, there are 583 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Havre de Grace, according to the Harford County Health Department.

Maryland is vaccinating its population in phases.

At the top of the list are health care workers, nursing home residents, nursing home staff and first responders.

"The Harford County Health Department is currently vaccinating healthcare workers and first responders (1A)," the health department states on its website. "Please continue to check this page to see when your group will be eligible to receive the vaccine."

Harford County first responders are being vaccinated by appointment only at Patterson Mill High School from Jan. 4 to 8, according to The Aegis, which reported about one third of the Harford County Sheriff's Office employees and Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association members expressed interest.

"It’s voluntary," Krass said of vaccinations among staff at the Havre de Grace Police Department. "We appreciate [the Harford County Health Department] reaching out to us and making that available to our employees."

Gov. Larry Hogan updated the state's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan Tuesday, activating the National Guard to help with distribution and prioritizing older adults and some essential workers.

Maryland began receiving its first shipments of the vaccine for COVID-19 on Dec. 14.

Vaccinations at Harford Memorial Hospital and Upper Chesapeake Medical Center began Dec. 16.

After the initial group of health care workers, nursing home residents and staff and first responders, those who are at significantly higher risk of severe illness from the virus will be vaccinated.

Harford County Health Officer Dr. David Bishai and Harford County Deputy Health Officer Marcy Austin spoke about the virus at the County Council meeting Tuesday along with Colin Ward, Upper Chesapeake Health's vice president of population health and clinical integration.

"The relief is coming, but the vaccine is not here in the large numbers that we would need to put the brakes on [it] this month," Bishai said. "The only way to dodge those mass funerals" is to practice "good behavior" like hand-washing and social distancing, he said.

Upper Chesapeake team members who received the Pfizer vaccine in December will get their second booster Wednesday, pushing them to 90 protection from the virus, Ward said.

Here is the coronavirus case count in Harford County by ZIP code as of Tuesday, Jan. 5:

Here's a look at coronavirus in Maryland as of Tuesday, Jan. 5:

See Also:

• Harford County Tops 9K Cases Of Coronavirus
• Harford Inmate Tests Positive For Coronavirus: Report
• MD Coronavirus Positivity Rate Climbs Above 9 Percent