By Garrett County Joint Information Center Team
As announced by Governor Hogan in a press conference on Thursday evening, Maryland is activating phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination plan beginning next week. This announcement will allow Garrett County to open up vaccination appointments for all residents who are age 75 and older as soon as the next shipment of vaccine is received next week.
A registration link will be posted on the Health Department’s website, garretthealth.org, as soon as the vaccine has been received and appointments slots are made available.
“We do not expect to be able to have links available to schedule appointments until at least Tuesday afternoon, and maybe not until Wednesday morning,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “It really depends on when the vaccine is received. We will not schedule appointments before we receive the vaccine shipment. We do not want to promise a vaccination that we may not be able to fulfill.”
Although Priority Group 1B includes K-12 teachers, education staff, and childcare providers, Garrett County will not yet be scheduling appointment for this group because of the limited availability of vaccine. Governor Hogan emphasized in his press conference that high-risk senior citizens must be prioritized.
“With our current vaccination setup and staffing, we have the ability to vaccinate large numbers of people as more vaccine becomes available,” Stephens said. “Please check our website frequently for updated information. We are not keeping a list or reservations for the vaccine. Additional appointments will only open up when we have the vaccine in hand to complete those vaccinations.”
While COVID-19 vaccinations continue, all Marylanders must work together to keep slowing the spread of COVID-19. Keep on wearing your mask, watching your distance and washing your hands. Get tested and quarantine if you expect exposure or have symptoms.
Additional COVID-19 resources:
• Visit garretthealth.org for the most up-to-date COVID-19 information.
• 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 (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and Thursdays (10 a.m. to 2 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.
Contact: [email protected]
