ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan provided an update on COVID-19 vaccine distribution on Tuesday.
To address reporting lag issues, Hogan issued an executive order which requires all providers in the state to report data to ImmuNet within 24 hours after vaccines are administered.
The Maryland Department of Health has also issued an order which states that any facility that has not administered at least 75 percent of their total first dose allocation may have their future allocations reduced until they can prove their ability to meet capacity requirements.
Effective immediately as well, the state is adopting a rolling vaccine allocation model.
They will no longer wait before all the members of a particular priority group are completed before moving on to those in the next group in line.
Hogan announced that this week they have expanded Phase 1A populations. All licensed, registered, and certified healthcare providers anywhere in the state are now eligible for vaccination.
Vaccinations will also soon be underway for all law enforcement agencies, correctional officers, and frontline judiciary staff. Phase 1A is more than a half million Marylanders.
The new Phase 1B will now include all Marylanders over the age of 75.
It will also include special needs group homes, high-risk inmates, developmentally disabled populations, continuity of government vaccinations, as well as teachers, child care, and education staff.
The revised Phase 1B now includes approximately 860,000 more Marylanders. Based on the current rate of allocation, they anticipate the state being able to move into Phase 1B by the end of January.
The Maryland State Department of Education will begin coordinating with county school systems to get teachers and critical staff vaccinated during Phase 1B.
The new Phase 1C includes all Marylanders 65-74 and workers in additional critical sectors including grocery stores, public transit, agricultural production, and manufacturing.
Phase 1C now includes another 772,000 Marylanders and they expect to be able to move into this phase sometime in March.
The newly updated Phase 2 will include Marylanders ages 16-64 who are at increased risk of COVID-19, as well as essential workers in critical utilities and other sectors. This includes another 1.1 million Marylanders.
Beginning Wednesday, the Maryland National Guard will also begin to dispatch emergency vaccination teams across the state to assist local health departments with their clinics.
Hogan stated these teams will include 14 guard members who will assist with administering vaccines and providing logistical support for vaccination clinics.
Through the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps, the state has identified 700 people from across the state who are ready and willing to assist with administering vaccines.
They have also offered the Maryland Hospital Association every resource, including additional vaccinators, logistics support, and PPE, to help them speed up their pace of vaccinating workers.
On Tuesday alone, Maryland reported a record 11,553 new vaccinations for a cumulative total of 76,916 vaccinations, and second doses have already begun at hospitals.
To stay informed on and determine when you will be eligible for #COVID19 vaccines, Marylanders are encouraged to text MDREADY to 898-211 or visit covidlink.maryland.gov.
