Long-Term COVID Readiness Plan Released By Hogan, MD Hopes To Battle Future Surges

MARYLAND — Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday released his long-term COVID-19 readiness plan. He hopes this strategy will help Maryland battle future coronavirus spikes.

"We must all learn to live with the virus, not to live in fear of it," the governor said at a press conference. "I want to thank the people of Maryland for doing exactly that."

Hogan's plan has five pillars:

• Expanding test-to-treat infrastructure
• Maximizing treatments and therapeutics
• Promoting booster shots
• Increasing awareness and outreach
• Stockpiling pandemic resources

Expanding Test-To-Treat Infrastructure

Many Marylanders have had trouble getting prescriptions filled after they test positive for COVID-19. After their test, residents must see a doctor to get a prescription. They then must find a pharmacy to fill their medicine.

This process has driven many Marylanders to emergency rooms to test, see a doctor, get a prescription and fill their medicine all in the same place. The state discourages this practice, however, because it occupies hospitals that need to treat the most vulnerable patients.

Maryland instead encourages residents to visit one of the state's 88 test-to-treat locations. Patients can get their coronavirus test and related prescription all in one visit.

The state has nearly doubled the number of these test-to-treat facilities in recent months. It plans to add dozens more in the coming weeks.

Residents can also fill out this form to see if they are eligible for treatment. If treatment may be an option, the patient can then book a telehealth visit to potentially get a prescription.

More information on the test-to-treat initiative is posted here.

Maximizing Treatments And Therapeutics

Hogan reminded residents that any health care provider can refer them to treatments and therapeutics. This includes primary and urgent care practices.

Maryland has recently increased therapeutic utilization by 248 percent, Hogan said. Therapeutics are now available at hundreds of locations around the state.

These drugs don't cure COVID-19, but they lessen the severity of the illness. This could reduce the chance of hospitalization.

One of the most common therapeutics is antiviral pills, which disrupt the virus's ability to replicate.

Promoting Booster Shots

Hogan said Maryland continues to be one of the most vaccinated and boosted states. He pointed to Maryland's 941 immunization sites as a reason for this success.

The governor acknowledged that it is hard to remember when it's time for another shot.

Hogan announced a new web portal that will tell residents if they are up-to-date on their vaccines or whether they are due for another dose. That tool is available at this link.

Everybody 5 and up is eligible for one booster after their primary shot(s). Anybody 50 or older can get two boosters after their initial dose(s).

Maryland officials expect the federal government to soon clear a vaccine for kids 6 months to 5 years old. That decision could come by the end of next week.

Roughly 358,000 young Marylanders will be eligible if the announcement comes as planned.

If the federal government gives the green light, the state is ready to start immunizations for residents under 5 on June 20. Maryland on Wednesday submitted a preorder for 65,400 doses.

Increasing Awareness And Outreach

Maryland will continue its public health campaign to get more residents vaccinated. This push centers around the state's immunization call center.

The call center has already helped residents schedule nearly 2 million vaccine appointments. The team can also help Marylanders organize an at-home immunization, get a ride to their vaccine appointment or schedule a test.

Residents can call the hotline daily at 1-855-MDGoVax.

The state is also continuing its text and phone outreach. A new round of public service announcements will debut soon.

Stockpiling Pandemic Resources

Hogan's last priority is ensuring the state has enough resources to withstand another surge or a variant.

Maryland assembled a multi-agency task for future spikes. The state is also adding to its personal protective equipment and testing reserves.

Maryland has about 2.3 million rapid, at-home tests. The state will continue to share these kits with school systems.

Health officials said they are prepared to conduct lab sequencing to evaluate the communal threat of new variants. They are similarly ready to rapidly expand hospital capacity and conduct contact tracing for priority cases.

The governor also said local health departments have record funding.

Battling Latest Surge

Hogan's announcement comes after a 1.5-month spike in COVID-19 infections. Cases are slowly leveling off, but the recent wave renewed masking debates.

Maryland did not reimplement a statewide mask mandate, but some jurisdictions took precautions.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education decided to suggest face coverings and at-home tests for schools with outbreaks. The school system did not require these measures, however.

The Anne Arundel County government similarly opted not to reinstate a mask mandate. County Executive Steuart Pittman said he was more concerned with hospitalizations, which remained at a manageable level, than he was about the infection surge.

COVID-19 Metrics Update

Maryland's case rate is starting to plateau after a spike from late March to mid-May. The case rate on May 19 hit a recent high of 38 new infections per day per 100,000 residents. The rate now sits at 29.36. That's up from the recent minimum of 4.53 set on March 24. The case rate is still below its all-time high of 235.17 set on Jan. 8.

The state's positivity rate is 8.92 percent, which is the highest since Jan. 30. The percent positivity was as low as 1.43 on March 21. The all-time high of 29.98 percent came on Jan. 5.

Maryland has 465 COVID-19 patients in the hospital. Hospitalizations hit a recent high of 511 on June 3 and a recent low of 126 on April 1. The record maximum of 3,462 hospitalizations was set on Jan. 11.

About 95 percent of Maryland adults have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. Around 92.6 percent of residents 5 and up have gotten one or more shots.

Maryland's population is 6,165,129. A total of 4,655,206 Marylanders are fully vaccinated. The state has given 2,409,020 booster doses.

Visit coronavirus.maryland.gov to explore all the pandemic data, which is updated every business day. Residents can schedule a vaccine at covidvax.maryland.gov.

RELATED:

• Anne Arundel Decides Not To Reinstate Mask Mandate Despite COVID Spike
• AACPS Suggests Masks For Schools With Outbreaks, Doesn't Require Them