Dear Friends,
I know that vaccine availability continues to be the question for many of us. Here are some major points I would like to convey.
Will MoCo get a mass vaccination site?
Yes. We just don’t know when. But we do know that, at some point, we will get many more vaccines and we need to be ready. And we will be ready. We are setting up the logistics now.
We are making progress:
With appreciation,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
P.S. I sent my Fiscal Year 2022 Recommended Operating Budget to the County Council on Monday. I am very pleased that, even after a year of a pandemic, we were able to propose a budget that:
Will MoCo get a mass vaccination site?
Yes. We just don’t know when. But we do know that, at some point, we will get many more vaccines and we need to be ready. And we will be ready. We are setting up the logistics now.
We are making progress:
- 75 percent of our 75 and older residents have received at least one dose.
- 65 percent of our residents who are 65-74 years old have received at least one dose.
- 30 percent of residents 16 and over received at least one dose.
- The Federal government will be sending more doses.
- About 70 percent of our adult residents are not yet vaccinated.
- The County’s seven-day average number of cases per 100,000 residents is still significantly higher than it was late summer/early fall, as is shown in the County Vaccine Dashboard.
- The State’s case count average is higher now than it had been from early August through October.
- There are multiple, aggressive variants of COVID-19 in Maryland.
- We do not know how many or when doses from the Federal government will arrive.
- Increased eligibility for vaccines should not be confused with the availability of vaccines. Demand continues to exceed supply.
- Trying to schedule an appointment with limited doses continues to be frustrating and needs a better system. We continue to ask the State to modify the program to streamline the process.
- Please be patient. If you are not yet vaccinated, you will be.
- Get tested if you think you might have been exposed to COVID-19.
- Even if you are vaccinated, when in public, continue physical distancing, frequent handwashing and masking wearing.
With appreciation,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
P.S. I sent my Fiscal Year 2022 Recommended Operating Budget to the County Council on Monday. I am very pleased that, even after a year of a pandemic, we were able to propose a budget that:
- Fully funds our education partners at Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College.
- Improves economic development.
- Tackles climate change.
- Increases mental health and other support for our residents in need.
- Provides record funding for affordable housing.
- Reimagines public safety.
- Fully funds recommended funding for public financing.
- And much more.
We are very grateful for the work by our entire Congressional delegation—Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Jamie Raskin, John Sarbanes and David Trone—for their work on the Federal American Recovery Act. It is bringing desperately needed help to local governments, businesses and residents.
