White House Unveils New COVID Plan: What It Means In Maryland

MARYLAND — People who test positive for COVID-19 will be able to get anti-viral pills “on the spot” at pharmacies in Maryland under a new strategy unveiled by the White House.

The national COVID-19 preparedness plan released Wednesday formalizes pledges that President Joseph Biden made during his State of the Union address to contain the threat of the virus.

It would make more vaccines available, require better surveillance of new variants, and rule out school and business closings as optimism grows that COVID-19 will soon be an endemic disease.

The plan still must be approved and funded by Congress.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control eased mask guidance for most Americans. The agency now sets the bar for masks based on new COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and hospital bed capacity, only requiring face coverings in communities where COVID-19 levels are considered high.

Nearly all Maryland jurisdictions are considered low and medium-spread communities, according to the new CDC framework, meaning masks are not recommended.

Low Levels Of COVID-19:

• Anne Arundel County
• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Calvert County
• Caroline County
• Carroll County
• Cecil County
• Charles County
• Dorchester County
• Frederick County
• Harford County
• Howard County
• Kent County
• Montgomery County
• Prince George's County
• Queen Anne's County
• St. Mary's County
• Talbot County

Medium Levels Of COVID-19:

• Garrett County
• Somerset County
• Washington County
• Wicomico County
• Worcester County

In counties at medium risk, the CDC suggests those at risk of severe illness speak with their health care provider about whether they need to wear masks and take additional precautions.

High Levels Of COVID-19:

• Allegany County

In areas of high risk, the CDC advises people to wear masks indoors in public.

Around the country, the CDC encourages everyone to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if experiencing symptoms, regardless of their community's level of the virus.

See Also: CDC Issues New Mask Guidelines; What They Mean For Maryland

Statewide, Maryland has 345 hospital patients with COVID-19, according to Gov. Larry Hogan. He announced Thursday that the state has the second-lowest coronavirus case rate nationwide.

As the second anniversary of the pandemic approaches on March 11, President Biden said people should have hope that things will get back to normal.

“It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtown again,” Biden said Tuesday during his State of the Union address. “People working from home can feel safe to begin to return to the office.”

Here are some things to know about Biden's plan, which still requires funding from Congress:

• The Pfizer antiviral pills that will be made available at pharmacies reduce the chance of hospitalization by up to 90 percent. Biden said in his State of the Union speech that up to 1 million pills will be available later this month, and more than double that amount will be available in April.
• Treatments and high-quality masks will be made available to immunocompromised people.
• Free coronavirus tests are still available from the government, even for people who previously ordered four tests.
• Steps are in place to respond to new variants with new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years.

About three-fourths of adult Americans are fully vaccinated, and hospitalizations are dropping dramatically as the United States moves past the highly contagious omicron variant. The Biden administration is mindful of last year’s premature victory lap ahead of the delta variant, and is reminding Americans coronavirus remains a threat.

Vaccines for children under 5 haven’t yet been approved, but Biden said in his speech that scientists are working to get those shots in the arms of young children.

Coronavirus In The U.S.

In the United States, COVID-19 has claimed nearly 1 million lives in two years, more than in any other country, according to Johns Hopkins University, which maintains a detailed world tracker and map at its Coronavirus Resource Center website.

Almost 13,900 Marylanders have died from COVID-19, based on the Maryland Department of Health's data Thursday, which shows 14 people have died from coronavirus in the state in the last day.

Nearly 80 million people in the United States alone have been sickened in the five coronavirus waves that took an exacting toll on the economy, disrupted school for millions of students and upended everyday life. More than 1 million Marylanders have gotten COVID-19, state health officials reported Thursday.

Americans’ growing weariness with the pandemic are reflected in Biden’s sagging approval ratings.

A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows that only 41 percent of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing, and only 33 percent think the country is headed in the right direction.

In a nod to the growing coronavirus fatigue, Biden highlighted a turning point in the pandemic in his State of the Union speech.

“Tonight I can say we are moving forward safely," Biden said, "back to more normal routines."

Patch editor Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.