With Maryland COVID numbers declining, Gov. Hogan to offer pandemic update Tuesday

Baltimore Sun - 6/15/2021

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is expected to provide an update regarding the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as key tracking numbers continue to decline.

Hogan said in a tweet he’d provide an update at noon.

His announcement comes as the number of COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations have declined compared to last month. The indicators measure at a fraction of where they stood at the peak of the pandemic in January.

More than half the state’s roughly 6 million residents have been fully vaccinated against the disease, while about 59% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose, according to the health department. The state has dished out more than 6.5 million vaccine doses.

However, the pace of immunizations has dropped off considerably. Roughly a month ago, the state was reporting an average of about 50,000 vaccinations daily; it’s registered about 27,000 shots daily over the last week.

Citing a waning demand, the state has been shuttering its mass vaccination clinics, shifting the immunization campaign to targeted outreach.

This article will be updated.