Annapolis, MD - We marked the one year anniversary of our first confirmed case of COVID-19 this week. 552 deaths, 36,770 positive cases, and 123,838 unemployment claims later, recovery is on the horizon.
Please take the time to read Responding to COVID-19, a four-page report on the programs and services that county government has delivered to protect our people, and please join me in thanking the public servants behind each of these initiatives.
I am thrilled to report that enough of our phase 1B residents have been vaccinated that our Department of Health will be scheduling appointments next week for seniors in the 65 to 74 age category. It is also good to see that the state has fixed the flaw in software that allowed people to share appointment links, forcing our staff to turn away ineligible people at clinics. This fix has made it possible for the county to improve its registration process and accept more eligible people.
The Governor’s decision this week to remove the 50% capacity limits at retail and restaurants was a surprise and maybe a few weeks early, but we don’t expect it to have much impact on case rates or business, so we allowed it to take effect. Distancing restrictions and market conditions keep most establishments well under 50%.
Maybe the best news this week is coming from Washington. Drug companies are cooperating to boost vaccine production and childhood poverty could be cut by half as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That’s good for all of us.
