COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations are lower now than they’ve been since November in Maryland — and the governor on Friday said the state has achieved a milestone related to vaccinations.
More than 1 million vaccine doses now are in people’s arms, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday. The 1 million figure includes both first and second doses of the coronavirus vaccines.
Of the 2.1 million Marylanders eligible for the vaccine in the current phase of the state’s rollout, about 706,000 have received at least one shot, according to the state’s vaccine data dashboard.
“Even with this good news, this will continue to be a long process for many more months before enough vaccines will be available,” Hogan said in a statement.
But, he urged people to be patient, stating that he won’t rest until vaccine doses are available for every Marylander who wants it.
The vaccination effort can power ahead dramatically if and when vaccine supplies become more plentiful.
“Soon we are opening another mass vaccination site at M&T Bank Stadium, and in the coming weeks, we expect the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — which is being made right here in the state of Maryland — to become available,” Hogan said.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which could be authorized when a Food and Drug Administration panel meets next week, requires only a single shot instead of two.
Maryland is administering nearly 28,000 shots a day; that’s only a fraction of what’s possible. Hogan said the state is set up — ready to go — to provide between 50,000 and 100,000 shots a day. Already, it’s pushing out 93.4% of first dose shots it gets from the federal government.
Virginia has administered more than 1.5 million shots to more than 1 million people, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
