Dear Friends,

To date in Howard County, we have 14,975 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 8,132 active cases, 6,628 recovered cases, and lost 215 of our neighbors from this virus. We can only end this pandemic by working together, we must continue practices that we all know at this point - wear a mask around people not in your household, avoid gatherings of large groups, keep your distance, and wash your hands.

As of 9:00 a.m. today and according to the Maryland Department of Health, our 7-day average positivity rate is at 4.84% and our 7-day average case rate per 100,000 of our population is at 15.2. Currently, there are 28 COVID-19 patients in both ICU and Acute Care unit. ICU is at 63% capacity, and Acute Care is at 79% capacity. These metrics have significantly declined since mid-January and are holding steady. Both our positivity and case rates are below the State averages and our rates are within the lower third of all jurisdictions.

All phases can pre-register at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov or by calling 410-313-6284. Pre-registering does not schedule an appointment but provides your contact information to the Health Department, so you may be notified when appointments are available. All vaccinations at this point are by appointment only.
Appointments for the vaccine will become available as we receive more vaccine, and we do not have enough supply at this time. Residents who have preregistered will be notified by email to schedule an appointment as they become available. Appointments are required, and persons should arrive no sooner than 10 minutes prior to their appointment time.

This week, the Health Department will receive 1,700 first doses of vaccine. This is less than the 2,000 last week, which was less than the 4,500 the week before. This concerning trend represents the State’s continued transition from local health departments vaccinating their communities to regional State-run mass vax clinics, retail pharmacies, and hospital operating clinics. All residents are encouraged by the State to register for a vaccine at these sites by using the State vaccine locator.
These are difficult times given the limited supply of the vaccine. With time and patience, everyone will be vaccinated. 

To learn more about our vaccination distribution, please join us this evening, Monday, February 8th at 6:00 p.m. for our Vaccine Telephone Townhall. If you would like to participate and ask questions, please register online or you may call in at 6:00 p.m. to (855) 756-7520 Ext. 71314#. If you would simply like to listen in, you may watch here on our Facebook page.