MD’s governor ramping up vaccinations in hopes of “sort of normal” Memorial Day weekend

Heather Curtis

WMAL.com

MARYLAND (WMAL) – President Joe Biden wants you to be able to safely go to a Fourth of July barbecue. Maryland’s governor wants you to be able to party even earlier.

“I want to see a pretty normal…or hopefully sort of normal…Memorial Day weekend, so we’re gonna try to push the envelope a little bit,” Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday during a visit to a vaccination clinic at the Arc Prince George’s.

Hogan thinks that will be possible as the federal government gives the state more doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. He thinks 340,000 vaccines will come into the state in one week. Hogan said the federal government has committed to giving the state more vaccines through April and May. This comes as quarantine fatigue is hitting hard along with frustration as demand for the vaccine continues to outpace supply.

“It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. Everybody’s, you know, been saying, ‘why can’t I get an appointment for a vaccine?’ and we’ve said we just didn’t have the supply,” Hogan said.

As of Friday, 2.4 million doses of the vaccine had been given out in Maryland. More than 60,000 people rolled up their sleeves for COVID vaccines in the state Thursday, the most ever in a single day. 34% of Marylanders have had at least 1 shot.

“I’m hopeful that in April and May we’ll have a big chunk of the population done,” Hogan said.

The state will soon double the number of mass vaccination sites it has. Six more will open in April, including one at Montgomery College in Germantown and another in Frederick County. Hogan said this will help the state achieve its goal of vaccinating every Marylander who wants the vaccine in the next couple of months.

The state moves into Phase 2B of vaccinations on March 30 allowing all Marylanders 16 and older with disabilities to get the shot. Every Marylander over the age of 16 will be eligible for the vaccine on April 27, a few days ahead of President Biden’s May 1 deadline.