By Liz Holland

All Maryland residents ages 16 and older became eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations after Gov. Larry Hogan announced he was speeding up the process to get shots in arms.

“We are pleased to announce another acceleration of vaccine eligibility phases much earlier than we anticipated,” said Hogan. “Getting more people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can is our absolute best defense against these variants, and it is the best way to win the long war against this deadly virus.”

As of Tuesday, all Marylanders 16 and older are eligible to get vaccinated at mass vaccination sites. The mass vaccination site at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center now has a no-appointment walk-up line. Residents also can pre-register at covidvax.maryland.gov. or by calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

By Monday, April 12, all Marylanders 16 and older will be eligible to schedule appointments and get vaccinated through all providers.  

Individuals who are 16 and 17 should only be signed up for vaccination clinics that are providing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is the only one currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for ages 16 and older.

The Wicomico County Health Department also continues to hold vaccination clinics. 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 you a link to make an appointment when appointments are available. 

The Health Department vaccination clinics recently moved to the Centre at Salisbury mall between Home Goods and Burlington in the former Tuesday Morning location.

In addition to the Civic Center and Health Department clinics, 481 pharmacies across the state and some doctors’ offices also are offering shots.

To find a provider and make an appointment, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

Eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment; it will take several weeks to vaccinate every resident who wants a vaccine.

The Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force continues to work with clinical partners to vaccinate vulnerable populations in underserved areas. To learn more about the task force, visit governor.maryland.gov/vetf.

Current numbers

As of Tuesday, April 6, Wicomico County has had 7,156 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 151 deaths. Health officials also reported that 29,529 county residents have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 18,127 have gotten a second dose.

The patient count in Somerset is now 2,485 with 37 deaths. First doses of vaccine have gone to 5,439 residents and 3,350 have gotten second doses.

Additional cases have also been confirmed in Worcester County, which now reports 3,429 people as having the virus and 94 deaths. So far 20,084 people have gotten their first shots and 12,175 had a second dose.

Dorchester County counts 2,501 cases, 48 deaths, 8,937 first doses of vaccine and 5,308 second shots. There are 2,156 reported cases in Caroline County with 22 deaths, 8,606 first vaccinations and 5,755 second doses.

Statewide in Maryland, 419,055 cases have been confirmed, with 8,192 confirmed deaths and 186 probable deaths. The current hospitalization totals of people with the virus stands at 1,204. The number of people in intensive care is 265, an increase of 20 over the past week.

As of Tuesday, the state has administered more than 3 million doses of vaccine, with more than 1 million people now fully vaccinated.

Across Maryland, more than 3.2 million people have tested negative for the virus.

Nationally, there are now more than 30.7 million cases with 555,621 deaths. Roughly 58.2 million people, or 17.79 percent of the U.S. population, are fully vaccinated.