 County Executive Marc Elrich knows that people throughout Montgomery County are anxious to know when they will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines. In his message this week, he explains that the County is prepared to distribute vaccines, but the State system of providing local governments with vaccines has been frustrating for all because not enough vaccines are available. He also addresses that the State does not give local jurisdictions much advance notice when new shipments will arrive, making it difficult to let residents know when they can get vaccine appointments.
 Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced that the State has moved into Phase 1B of distributing COVID-19 vaccines. Phase 1B includes people age 75 and older. However, the Montgomery County Government has not yet received enough vaccines from the Maryland Department of Health to meet the demand of those in Priority Group 1A who are seeking the vaccine. The County is prepared to distribute more vaccines—it just cannot control how many doses it receives each week. The County will begin vaccinating those in Priority Group 1B as soon as it can, while continuing to vaccinate those in Priority Group 1A.
 COVID-19 Deaths by Zip Code, Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Information Portal provides a variety of breakdowns on how the virus has impacted the County. The statistics are regularly updated to reflect the most recent reports during the health crisis.
 There are numerous ways to get tested for COVID-19 in Montgomery County. The County operates dozens of clinics most weeks and rotates the locations to make testing easily accessible for residents in all parts of the County. In addition, there are many privately operated testing programs.
Montgomery County Public Libraries will temporarily reduce their hours of service to 48 hours weekly beginning Sunday, Jan. 24. There will no longer be service on Sundays. All branches will be open eight hours on other days.
|
 Montgomery County Health Officer Travis Gayles, who has been at the forefront of the County’s response to the COVID-19 health crisis, will be the featured guest at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, on the next episode of the Montgomery College video “Presidential Dialogue Series.” He will discuss the County’s actions during the health crisis with Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard.
 The Montgomery County Commission for Women (CFW) will host its 41st Annual Women’s Legislative Briefing (WLB) from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31. The virtual event brings together advocates, allies, policymakers and emerging leaders to empower, engage and mobilize Marylanders around issues affecting women and girls.
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), in partnership with the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, will be offering the free Peace by Peace Series—four workshops that explore what conflict means and how and why individuals react in different ways to conflict. The programs offer tips and techniques on developing methods to communicate with a partner, friend, family member, acquaintance or co-worker.
|
Montgomery County residents can learn more about the programs, events and people in their County through the podcast “What’s Happening MoCo.” The featured guest on the latest episode is Marcus Johnson, a former member of the Blair High School jazz band who has gone on to become an internationally known jazz artist, producer and author.
|
Montgomery County has allocated funding to help cover the cost of facility fee rentals for youth sports programs that primarily serve vulnerable and/or low-income youth. The program will administer the funds through the Facility Fee Assistance Program.
|
A special chapter of the worldwide Toastmasters organization that was formed in Montgomery County to help improve speaking skills and build confidence for veterans will be held starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Montgomery County’s Commission on Veterans Affairs strongly supports the program as an opportunity to help veterans.
|
|
