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Yesterday, we received a briefing on the status of vaccines in Montgomery County. The County expects to have administered all of the 12,900 vaccines received prior to this week, and has begun administering the 6,700 vaccines received yesterday.
According to our public health team, the County currently has the capacity to administer 17,000-24,000 vaccines per week. However, as mentioned, this week we only received 6,700 doses from the State. We need more vaccine shipments from the State in order to make significant progress.
Currently, the County Health Department has been scheduling vaccine appointments based on the number we receive from the State to ensure that we can administer them within a week, prior to our next allotment. While I understand the rationale behind that approach, I have called for them to utilize the full extent of our existing capacity to administer vaccines to County workers and residents as quickly and comprehensively as possible. We simply cannot and should not wait, and the best way to pressure the State to provide us with more vaccines is to administer them faster than they are providing them to us. I have called for the County Health Department to bring in any and all county groups, organizations, and individuals who can help with this process, including dentists, doctors and veterinarians who have expressed interest and already have the professional expertise to help.
For those residents who are in Phase 1A and have completed the provider survey but still have not heard back from County staff, I have asked that an email go out as soon as possible providing an update on the process and when to expect to receive information on how, when, and where to schedule an appointment.
For those who are in subsequent phases, we are continuing to push for better communication to ensure there is far better understanding as to how and where to register and receive the latest vaccine information. I also reiterated my request yesterday for a daily dashboard of the number of vaccines received and administered by the County Health Department to date, along with all the information we have and are able to share with residents as soon as we have it.
As a reminder, vaccinations at hospitals are currently handled directly through the State Department of Health and nursing homes and assisted living facilities are provided through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Both far going far slower than needed.
Regarding the latest information from the federal government yesterday, the State has not decided to change Phase 1A, which is the current phase we are in today. If and when the State makes a decision to change the prioritization categories, we will share that information with you. In the meantime, we will keep pushing to receive more vaccines so we can get shots in arms a lot faster – and to ensure that the County is doing everything within its power to provide clear and consistent information in real-time and to ramp up our capacity to administer vaccines the moment we receive them.
For the latest information including the priority group details and to sign up for vaccine text and email alerts, please visit the County's vaccine website.
Join us Tuesday at 7:00 PM to hear from County staff on the latest updates and to get your questions answered. Click the image below to get to the Council YouTube page where the event will be available.
In June, I wrote the County's Planning Department with the support of all my Council colleagues to request identification and renaming of all County streets and facilities named for Confederate figures.
We are concerned specifically with three streets in Potomac named after Confederate military figures: Jubal Early Court, J.E.B. Stuart Drive, and J.E.B. Stuart Court. Both invaded Montgomery County during the Civil War, ransacking towns and farms. Jubal Early attempted to raid Washington and overthrow our government. Later, he became a leader of the "Lost Cause" movement, pseudohistory used by racist supporters of slavery to perpetuate violence and inequality against African Americans.
Based on a comprehensive historical review, these street names were chosen without public input in the 1960s, perhaps not surprisingly during the height of the African-American Civil Rights movement. Make no mistake: These street names honoring traitors to our country and defenders of slavery were meant to intimidate and hurt. They never should've been approved in the first place.
With a resolution set for tomorrow's Planning Board hearing, the Planning Department will finally begin the renaming process with the support and advocacy of many who live on the streets and in the Montgomery Square and Regency Estates community. I'm looking forward to this small but important step and am thankful for all of the community members who pushed for this, including at an event I was grateful to attend last summer.
Montgomery County is home to some of the world’s most accomplished and talented residents. We rely and greatly benefit from that expertise through the work on the County’s many volunteer boards which advise the County Council and Executive on a wide range of local issues and important policy matters.
Currently, there are 12 vacancies on the following boards:
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Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board (7 Vacancies)
- This 19-member Board represents the residential and business communities of Bethesda, Cabin John, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo, North Bethesda, Potomac, and Rockville. The Board advises the Director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, the County Executive, and the County Council on community needs and priorities such as transportation, human services, environmental, public safety, and other issues of local importance.
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White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee (5 Vacancies)
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This 14-member committee advises County departments on public services in the White Flint Sector Plan Area; and coordinates community activities that promote and advance business interests, and a sense of place, community, maintenance, and walkability within the Area. The Committee provides an annual report to the County Executive and County Council.
To apply, click the name of the board above and the application is available there. If you have questions as you are working on your application or to check for future vacancies, please see this site.
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