They urge residents who are not vaccinated to get their COVID shots.
Frederick, Md (KM) Progress is being made in the fight against COVID-19. The state of emergency issued by the Governor last year during the height of the pandemic has been lifted, and the mask requirements have been ended. Many people have received their vaccinations. “We’ve gotten where we are now because so many people have done the right thing. They’ve done what was necessary to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe,” says Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor
But the virus hasn’t gone away, says County Executive Jan Gardner. “We’ve certainly had great success due to vaccines with reducing the amount of COVID in our community. The virus is still out there,”: she says. “We know some variants like the Delta variant is here in our state and our county. So If you’re unvaccinated, you do remain at risk.”
As of Thursday, July 8th, the County Health Department reports there were 19,856 COVID-19 cases in the county since the pandemic began. There have also been 334 deaths. But the seven-day positivity rate is 0.85%.
A few weeks ago, Frederick Health Hospital announced that it had no COVID-19 patients. But Gardner said that didn’t; last long. “But now since July 4th, we’ve had one or two patients everyday in the hospital who have COVID, including one who spent some time in the ICU,” she said.
Gardner also said many of the deaths from COVID in Maryland in June were people who were not vaccinated.
That’s why it’s still important for all residents who are not vaccinated against COVID to roll up their sleeves. “We know that they work. We know that they’re safe and effective. And we really want to tamp this down to zero for a sustained period of time,” says Gardner.
Mayor O’Connor echoed those comments. “The researchers who were able bring vaccines to the table in record time; to get those tested. Everybody who has agreed to get one. We need more people to do that. We need more people to acknowledge that the vaccine ultimately is the way we’re going to put COVID in the rear view mirror,” he said.
The County Health Department says as of Thursday, more than 147,672 people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 which is 56.9% of the population.
By Kevin McManus