ANNAPOLIS — Marylanders still awaiting eligibility to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can now at least preregister to schedule an appointment, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday.
Residents 16 and older, who will be made eligible in the third and final phase of the state’s vaccination rollout, can go online at https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine to begin the process of booking an appointment at one of the state’s mass vaccination sites.
Those with limited or no internet access can call 1-855-634-6892.
“Individuals who are currently eligible under Phase 1 and Phase 2 but still have not yet been vaccinated will continue to be prioritized,” Hogan said during a press briefing inside the State House.
The state’s six mass vaccination sites include locations at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Hagerstown Premium Outlets, and two in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium and the city convention center,
On Friday, eligible Marylanders with no appointments can get vaccinated at the Wicomico site because some doses became available after people didn’t show up for scheduled appointments.
Two more sites are scheduled to open Monday at Montgomery College’s campus in Gaithersburg and the Timonium Fairgrounds in Baltimore County.
Another four will open later this month in Anne Arundel, Frederick, Harford and Howard counties.
As of Thursday, about 2.7 million Marylanders have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Slightly more than one million are fully vaccinated, having received either both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
In terms of better accessibility for residents, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin operating a site Wednesday at the Greenbelt Metro station parking lot. Hogan said it will have the capacity to administer up to 3,000 shots per day and primarily serve Prince George’s County residents.
The governor praised First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro for establishing a community clinic, which helped increase vaccinations in Prince George’s by 108%.
“We’re going into the neighborhood clinics that we’re putting in churches and community centers and our mobile [vaccination] sites. The goal is to try and reach people where they are as much as possible,” Hogan said. “We’re getting to the point that more people can walk to [get] a vaccine because not everybody has the ability to get in a car and drive.”
Even with more vaccines slated to arrive, Hogan and local health officials continue to urge residents to wear a mask and maintain social distancing of at least six feet.
State health officials have identified 667 cases of COVID-19 variants, about 86% of which were from a strain first found in the United Kingdom that has been found to be more contagious.
The governor attributed a recent surge in infections to the variants, especially among younger people. The state health department recorded another 1,584 confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period and another 17 died from COVID-19.
To speed up the process and have more residents vaccinated, the state health department will require county and Baltimore City health departments to submit final equity plans by Monday. The information will also include zip codes of underserved communities.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks tweeted Thursday that more than 200,000 residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
“Pre-register today so you are on the list to get a vaccine appointment when it is your turn,” she said.
Residents can go to https://covid19vaccination.princegeorgescountymd.gov or call 311.