 Yesterday I witnessed Mr. Harvey Zeigler receive his COVID vaccine one week shy of his 101st birthday! He joined hundreds of other residents in the Briggs Chaney community, home to the highest percent of Black residents in the county & one of hardest hit by COVID-19 in the entire state of Maryland.
I continue to work on your behalf as we navigate the vaccination process and other issues related to COVID-19. The Council recently met with the Maryland Department of Health to get answers about the reduction in the number of vaccines being sent to Montgomery County’s Health Department, problems with the state-run registration system, and urged the Governor to locate a mass vaccination site in Montgomery County. I also raised questions about racial equity in the distribution of vaccines because the data shows that people of color are receiving the least number of appointments and vaccinations despite having the highest rates of infection and death.
We continue to vaccinate our 75+ population. The County has a new dashboard that provides residents with information on how the vaccine is being administered in the county. You can access it here, http://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/#dashboard
Thankfully, we have seen improvement in the number of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County. On February 19, our COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents was 12.29, which is the lowest level since November 2020. Our test positivity rate was 3.62 and our case count was 149. These numbers are encouraging, but we must remain diligent as we deal with the arrival of new variant strains of the virus.
More than 119,140 residents in Montgomery County have been vaccinated to date, the most in the state. Over 11% of our population has now had their 1st dose and 4% have been fully vaccinated. Vaccines are a top priority, but COVID-19 testing also remains very important. Even though the case rates have lowered, we must keep the test rates up. Testing helps identify where the virus is and slow the spread. Until there is enough vaccine for everyone, it is imperative that residents continue to get tested along with wearing facial coverings and continuing to social distance.
The County is hosting a series of town halls on COVID-19 and vaccine distribution. I will be participating in a town hall focused on the Black Community on Monday, Feb. 22 from 7:00PM – 8:30PM, please click here to sign-up.
- For more on COVID-19 and vaccinations, visit the county dashboard at: COVID-19 Vaccine - Montgomery County, MD
- For updates and alerts about the state's COVID efforts, text "MdReady" to 898211
- For help with pre-registration, call the Vaccine Pre-registration Assistance Line at 240-777-2982. This line is available seven days a week from 8 am to 6 pm.
If you have an appointment that needs to be rescheduled due to weather conditions, call 240-777-1755 or send an email to c19vaccination@montgomerycountymd.gov.
CCI Health and Wellness Services in Silver Spring will be the first community health center in Maryland to receive vaccines through the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program of the Biden-Harris Administration.
The County has also opened two new vaccination sites that will help to bring the vaccine to communities that have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 cases. The new sites will only serve residents who have appointments. These are the sites and opening dates:
- White Oak Recreation Center
- East County Recreation Center
- Chinese Culture and Community Center (opening date to be announced)
Earlier this month, the Board of Education made several very consequential decisions that will affect all MCPS students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators. In a nearly unanimous vote, the Board voted on February 9th to delay opening schools to in-person learning until March 15, 2021, with some specific exceptions. The Board took into consideration many factors, including health metrics and the recent rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the state in making their determination. You can view the MCPS reopening plan here.
Mental health issues, anguish and learning loss have placed many of our students in dire straits. While there is no perfect solution, our students and teachers need to be the top priority. I believe we should keep all existing restrictions in place until our schools are able to open successfully and stay open safely. Please see my comments regarding this in a recent Washington Post article.
As always, please be in touch if I can be of assistance by emailing me at Councilmember.Jawando@montgomerycountymd.gov. Stay safe!
Sincerely,
 Will Jawando
Councilmember, At-Large
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