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May 11, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

News COVID-19

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 10

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 20 to 2,591.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 4.32%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 453,401, an increase of 276 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 10 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,670.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.06% (-0.25 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 47.87% of Marylanders and 48.51% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 35.69% and 40.33% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 17 days and below 4% for 13 days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 24 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 798 people hospitalized — 585 in acute care and 213 in intensive care.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 7

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 9 to 2,571.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.59%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 452,035, an increase of 768 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 11 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,642.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.53% (-0.13 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 47.04% of Marylanders and 48.19% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 33.98% and 39.54% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 14 days and below 4% for 10 days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 42 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 859 people hospitalized — 640 in acute care and 219 in intensive care.

Talbot County, FEMA Host COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Easton’s Elks Lodge May 11-14, 16

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The Talbot County Health Department in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic May 11-14 and May 16 at the Easton Elks Lodge #1622 for individuals aged 18 and older.

Appointments for the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) one-dose vaccine can be made at marylandvax.org, the below links, or with assistance by calling the Health Department’s vaccination helpline at 410-819-5641. The helpline is operated Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Gov. Larry Hogan and FEMA announced March 29 that these mobile clinics are part of the nation’s first federal mobile COVID-19 vaccination units launching in the State of Maryland.

“We are excited to again offer the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine to our community,” Dr. Maria Maguire, Talbot County Health Officer said. “After a thorough review, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration determined that the J&J vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. The brief pause on the use of the J&J vaccine was proof that the surveillance systems to monitor the safety of vaccines are in place and working.

“This vaccine is a great option for many people — one dose and you’re done! And it’s never been easier to get the COVID-19 vaccine — you can make an appointment in advance, or stop by when it’s convenient for you,” Maguire said as she encourages the public to share this information with individuals and groups who haven’t been vaccinated.

Though everyone 16 years and older is now eligible to be vaccinated, these specific clinics are open to people age 18 years and above because that is the minimum age the Johnson and Johnson vaccine can be given per its FDA authorization. 16- and 17-year-olds interested in getting vaccinated require the Pfizer vaccine, which is available through the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and the state-run mass vaccine clinic in Salisbury.

Elks Lodge #1622 is located at 502 Dutchmans Lane in Easton. Appointments are suggested but not required. Walk-ins are welcome. Vaccinations available on a first-come, first-served basis. The mobile units are designed to provide a minimum of 150 doses per day. Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 11- Friday, May 14, and Sunday, May 16.

Registration links for FEMA Vaccine Clinics at the Easton Elks Lodge are as follows:

Tuesday, May 11, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3ttUBCW

Wednesday, May 12, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/2R1BbZ5

Thursday, May 13, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3bcBZRE

Friday, May 14, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3usNhZz

Sunday, May 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3xW9kKD

More information and resources about Talbot County’s response to COVID-19 is at talbotcovid19.org and talbothealth.org.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 6

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 2 to 2,562.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.96%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 451,267, an increase of 578 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 9 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,631.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.66% (-0.05 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 46.78% of Marylanders and 48.03% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 33.47% and 39.14% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 13 days and below 4% for nine days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 33 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 901 people hospitalized — 663 in acute care and 238 in intensive care.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 5

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 4 to 2,560.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.7%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 450,689, an increase of 679 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 10 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,622.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.71% (-0.11 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 46.48% of Marylanders and 47.89% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 32.95% and 38.75% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 12 days and below 4% for eight days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 10 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 934 people hospitalized — 688 in acute care and 246 in intensive care.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 4

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 3 to 2,556.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.21%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 450,010, an increase of 501 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 7 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,612.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.82% (+0.13 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 46.16% of Marylanders and 47.77% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 32.36% and 38.47% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 11 days and below 4% for seven days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 9 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 944 people hospitalized — 698 in acute care and 246 in intensive care.

Mirroring National Trend, Maryland’s “Trump Counties” Are Slower to Get Vaccinated

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In a recently produced video circulating on social media, Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-Md.) urges people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Joined by nine other Republican physician-legislators, Harris tells viewers that the development of safe and effective vaccines provides the country “a clear path to the eradication of the pandemic.”

“The FDA did not skip any steps,” he adds.

Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) said getting vaccinated will bring an end to “the government’s restrictions on our freedoms.”

Harris — a Trump loyalist and an anesthesiologist — has drawn praise for appearing in the video and for posting photos of himself administering vaccines at clinics in his district.

The video’s message comes at a crucial time. With polls consistently showing that as many as 40% of Republicans don’t intend to get a shot, public health experts across the country are worried that herd immunity is at risk.

A Maryland Matters analysis found vaccination patterns in the state that mirror the nation’s.

The six least-vaccinated jurisdictions in Maryland — and nine of the bottom 12 — were won by Donald Trump in 2020.

Of the three jurisdictions carried by Democrat Joe Biden that have below-average vaccination rates — Baltimore City and Prince George’s and Charles counties — all are majority-Black.

At the top end of the spectrum, six of the eight most-vaccinated counties in Maryland were won by Biden.

For purposes of this analysis, Maryland Matters counted every resident who has had at least one dose of any of the vaccines being offered.

There are many factors that determine who gets vaccinated who doesn’t, health experts caution. For months, access to the vaccine has been limited, though appointments now are plentiful.

Many vaccine-seekers lacked the ability to spend hours online, prowling the Web for an appointment, nor did they have the flexible schedules needed to get to a vaccination site. Access to transportation has been another challenge.

The Maryland Department of Health and the state’s Vaccine Equity Task Force have spent many weeks trying to overcome these and other barriers, expanding distribution sites, bringing vaccines into under-served communities, working with faith and community groups, tailoring messages, enlisting family physicians and “trusted voices,” and more.

While those efforts have boosted the state’s vaccination rate overall and closed some of the gaps that set off alarm bells during the early months of the rollout, data confirm that African-Americans and Republicans are less likely to be vaccinated than non-Black Democrats and members of other racial groups.

“A lot of it has to do with your political ideology and who you’re listening to, where you get your facts from, and who you trust,” said Ed Singer, Carroll County’s chief health officer and head of the Maryland Association of County Health Officers. “Let’s be honest about it.”

Singer said vaccination rates in minority communities have risen as people observe friends and family members getting vaccinated without complication.

“When they saw that it was fine [and] nobody was having issues with it, it really helped,” he said.

Rep. Harris’s press secretary did not respond to a request for comment submitted last week. But Joshua M. Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, praised him for appearing in a pro-vaccination video.

“We shouldn’t overdo the politics of it in Maryland,” he said, “because we have a Republican governor and we have Republican legislators who are very supportive of vaccines.”

Vaccination advocates are fighting a daily battle against high-profile media personalities — Tucker Carlson of Fox and others — who have offered messaging that contradicts public-health guidance.

A focus group empaneled by pollster Frank Luntz found that GOP resistance to the vaccine remains entrenched, particularly among men.

Jerome Adams, a former U.S. surgeon general writing in his private capacity as a University of Virginia scholar, urged Trump to put his influence with the Republican base to good use.

“A lot of people who are reluctant to get the shot trust the former president,” Adams wrote last week in a Washington Post op-ed. “So I’m calling on him to loudly and proudly tell his supporters that he got vaccinated and they should too.”

True to form, the former president’s recent public statements have been about himself. Nonetheless, he could help drown out the noise from right-wing media if he chose to, analysts say.

“The effort to try to mark not getting vaccinated as a badge of honor is unwise and dangerous,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “But it’s still going on.”

“People don’t like being told what to do,” he acknowledged. “But modern collective life does not give a person the opportunity to be completely an island.”

The red-blue gap starts to widen

At the beginning of the vaccination campaign, Maryland counties that have more Republican voters outpaced Democratic-leaning counties narrowly, but the trend reversed in March.

(Editor’s Note: If viewing on mobile, turn phone 90 degrees to better view graphic.)

The Maryland Matters analysis also found that the gap between Democratic counties and Republican counties is growing.

For the seven-day period that ended April 30, the five counties with the highest percentage of registered Republicans saw their vaccination rate grow by an average of 0.27% per day.

By contrast, the five counties with the highest percentage of registered Democrats increased at a more robust rate of 0.44% per day.

If that trend persists, the red-blue divide will continue to widen.

It’s unclear why such strong pockets of resistance to the vaccine exist. Health experts who have studied the data on the vaccines’ effectiveness and relative lack of serious side effects don’t yet have firm answers.

“I think that there’s been a polarization around trust in government,” said Sharfstein, “so when they hear that this is something that can save their lives, they don’t necessarily believe that.”

The “Doc Caucus” video in which Rep. Harris appears doesn’t explicitly reference herd immunity, but lawmakers hint at it.

“I look forward to the freedom that I, along with my loved ones, will regain once the vast majority of Americans are vaccinated,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) says.

According to JHU’s Dr. Sharfstein, it’s too early to know whether the country’s ability to reach herd immunity status is being threatened by those who are refusing to get a shot.

Singer — the health chief in Carroll — remains optimistic, however, saying, “It just may take us longer to get there than what I would like.”

“The vaccine is available now and we can get there quickly — within a month or two, I think. But it may take three or four months because it’s going to take longer for some people to make the decision to get vaccinated.”

By Bruce DePuyt and Brenda Wintrode

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update May 3

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Since Friday, Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 21 to 2,553.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 4.56%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 449,509, an increase of 520 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 20 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,605.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.69% (+0.05 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 45.96% of Marylanders and 47.71% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 31.97% and 38.42% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for 10 days and below 4% for six days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 7 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 953 people hospitalized — 688 in acute care and 265 in intensive care.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update April 30

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 11 to 2,532.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 3.21%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 447,401, an increase of 942 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 25 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,555.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.72% (-0.05 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 43.58% of Marylanders and 47.39% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 29.74% and 37.56% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for seven days and below 4% for three days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 38 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,042 people hospitalized — 773 in acute care and 269 in intensive care.

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update April 29

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m., although some counties do not update on weekends. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• Talbot County’s COVID-19 cases increased by 4 to 2,521.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 3.7%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 446,459, an increase of 966 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 9 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 8,530.

• The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 3.77% (-0.12 from yesterday).

Vaccinations

• The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 43.12% of Marylanders and 47.24% of Talbot County residents; second dose rates are 29.08% and 37.19% respectively.

• To pre-register for a vaccine appointment (including for the mass vaccination clinic at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury), visit www.marylandvax.org or covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

• State Vaccine Information Page: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

• Vaccination Site Search: https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/nearby/index.html?appid=0dbfb100676346ed9758be319ab3f40c

Positivity Rate

• The state’s 7-day average positivity has been below 5% for six days and below 4% for two days.

Hospitalizations

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Maryland dropped by 13 in the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,080 people hospitalized — 813 in acute care and 267 in intensive care.