By Liz Holland

Local health officials are continuing to administer Covid-19 vaccinations to residents 65 and older, but the demand continues to exceed the current supply.

At a Greater Salisbury Committee meeting this week, Chris Hall, Chief Business Officer at TidalHealth, said the Salisbury hospital is set up to give out 500 shots per day, but only received 100 doses this week.

Hall also reported some positive news: There are 44 hospitalized Covid patients as of Monday which is down from nearly 60 patients a few weeks ago. The hospital’s Infusion Clinic where people are administered with antibodies has treated 400-plus thus far, he said.

The Wicomico County Health Department reported it has held 21 vaccination clinics since the week of Dec. 21. Throughout these clinics, the department administered the first doses and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to 4,635 people. Of those vaccinations, 2,036 were administered in the last two weeks alone.

Maryland is currently in Phase 1C which includes people ages 65 to 74, public health and safety workers not covered in Phase 1A, essential workers in lab services, food and agriculture production, manufacturing, the U.S. Postal Service, public transit and grocery stores.

Anyone in Phase 1B, which includes people 75 years and older, people in assisted living, group homes, high-risk incarcerated individuals and schoolteachers, are still eligible to sign up for vaccinations.

To get an appointment, email Wicomico.COVIDvax@maryland.gov  and include your age or what phase you fall in and how you qualify for that phase. The Health Department will email a link to make an appointment when appointments are available. Check your email regularly because appointments fill up very fast

Hospitals, county health departments and neighborhood pharmacies are all part of the state’s vaccine distribution network. Use covidvax.maryland.gov to find a provider by ZIP code, or call 211 for assistance. Vaccinations are by appointment only, and some providers may allow pre-registration.

The state’s first mass vaccination sites are now open at the Baltimore Convention Center and Six Flags America in Prince George’s County. More sites are being planned across the state, including on the Eastern Shore.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced last week more than $123.2 million in funding to support Maryland’s local health departments, including resources for ongoing COVID-19 vaccination activities.

“As the state begins mass vaccination, and continues to expand the distribution network of vaccinators, county health departments will play a critical role in our focus on hard-to-reach areas and underserved populations,” Hogan said.

This funding for Covid-19 vaccination activities will be awarded to each jurisdiction based on their populations. 

The latest numbers 

As of Tuesday, Feb. 9, Wicomico County has had 6,543 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 135 deaths. Health officials also reported that 12,479 county residents have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 3,883 have gotten a second dose.

The patient count in Somerset is now 2,317 with 26 deaths. First doses of the vaccine have gone to 2,339 residents and 597 have gotten second doses.

Additional cases have also been confirmed in Worcester County, which now reports 3,152 people as having the virus and 86 deaths. So far 7,696 people have gotten their first shots and 1,784 had a second dose.

Dorchester County counts 2,189 cases, 38 deaths, 3,460 first doses of vaccine and 1,062 second shots. There are 1,969 reported cases in Caroline County with 18 deaths, 3,804 first vaccinations and 1,287 second doses.

Statewide in Maryland, 365,529 cases have been confirmed, with 7,234 confirmed deaths and 179 probable deaths. The current hospitalization totals of people with the virus stands at 1,377 which is 90 fewer people than a week ago. The number of people in intensive care also dropped over the past week from 366 to 326

As of Tuesday, the state has administered 727,828 doses of vaccine, with 657,175 first doses and 263,250 second doses.

Across Maryland, more than 2.8 million people have tested negative for the virus.

Nationally, there are now more than 27 million cases with 465,096 deaths.