Garrett County Currently Only Vaccinating Members of Phase 1A and 1B

By Garrett County Joint Information Center Team

The Garrett County Health Department reminds everyone that our county is currently only vaccinating members of Phase 1A and 1B due to the limited number of COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed to the county.

“We have the capacity to vaccinate more people, but the supply simply cannot keep up with the demand,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “We will not be able to move to Phase 1C until we have insured that those persons in Phase 1A and 1B have an opportunity to schedule an appointment.”

“We ask everyone to have patience as we continue to work our way through the priority groups,” Stephens added. “Watch our website, Facebook page, and the news media for announcements about open clinics. Please also review the information that tells you which priority groups are eligible for appointments in Garrett County at that specific time. Signing up for a clinic when you do not qualify creates more work for everyone, because your appointment will be canceled, and we will need to schedule someone else in that slot who does meet the qualifications.”

The vaccine timeline released by the Health Department last week is available at garretthealth.org and on their Facebook Page. The timeline will be updated as the county progresses through the priority groups. The Health Department is not keeping a pre-registration list.

Additional information for Garrett County today includes:

• A vaccination rate of 9.6% of county residents for first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

• A 7-day case rate of 19.20 per 100,000 Garrett County residents, compared to Maryland’s case rate of 32.41

• A 7-day positivity rate of 7.10%, compared to Maryland’s rate of 5.94%

• A total of 1,789 COVID-19 cases

• A total of 57 deaths due to COVID-19 or its complications

For the most up-to-date information about vaccine distribution and testing in Garrett County, watch for announcements from the Health Department on media outlets, the Health Department’s Facebook page and website (garretthealth.org).

Additional COVID-19 resources:

• If you have COVID-19 like symptoms, schedule a testing appointment at the Health Department by calling 301-334-7697.

• Free COVID-19 testing is available (with or without symptoms) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the MEDCO Building in the McHenry Business Park. Pre-registration is recommended. Visit garretthealth.org for more information.

• For all other COVID-19 related questions, or to report a COVID-19 compliance issue, call the local COVID-19 Hotline number at 301-334-7698.