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Allegany County Continues COVID Struggles on Multiple Fronts

September 13th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Allegany County continues to have one of the highest COVID-19 case rates and one of the lowest COVID vaccination rates in the state of Maryland. Health officials urge the unvaccinated to get a COVID vaccine as soon as possible. According to the CDC, unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die from COVID.

To combat misinformation on social platforms, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has launched a Twitter feed to combat COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation and ensure that Marylanders have accurate information about life-saving vaccines, the importance of testing, and other COVID-19-related facts.  The feed, @GoVAXMaryland, will also livestream Ask An Expert Q&A sessions every other Thursday beginning September 23.

The Allegany County Health Department will offer walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations again this Wednesday, September 15th. Both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon for those age 18 and older. From 1 to 5:30 p.m. the Pfizer vaccine will be offered for those age 12 and older. (Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.) The vaccines are free, and no appointment or insurance card is needed. Vaccines are also widely available through local pharmacies, urgent care clinics, pediatric offices, and some primary care providers.

As of September 12, 43.2% of Allegany County residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared to 63.0% of all Marylanders.

Drive-thru testing is still being offered three days per week at the Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11400 Moss Avenue, Cumberland, MD. Testing clinics are held Mondays from 2 to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is needed, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged to minimize wait times at the clinic. Pre-registration can be done online any time prior to coming to the clinic by going to health.maryland.gov/allegany and clicking on the pre-registration link under “COVID-19 Information” on the right side of the page.

Allegany County COVID-19 Case Statistics as of September 12:

  • New COVID Cases: 65 (cumulative total 8,127)

  •  Additional Deaths: 1 (cumulative total 220)

  • Cases Per 100,000 Population: 48.89 (Maryland: 17.92)

  • Positivity Rate: 10.12% (Maryland: 4.75%)