December 27th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
Following the Health and Human Services announcement Friday that it was pausing distribution of two COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments in the U.S. due to reduced effectiveness against the omicron variant, the state of Maryland issued a directive to discontinue administering these treatments. As a result, monoclonal antibody treatment – once widely available – has essentially halted statewide until newer, more effective monoclonal treatments become available. In the wake of that decision, health officials continue to stress that COVID vaccinations and boosters are the best defense against severe illness or death from COVID-19.
“Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine series and booster is an opportunity to avoid catastrophic illness and to save your own life. Fully-vaccinated, boosted individuals have a far smaller chance of requiring hospitalization or dying from COVID,” stated Dr. Jennifer Corder, Deputy Health Officer for Garrett and Allegany Counties. Currently, 48.9% of Allegany County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared to 70.3% of all Marylanders.
UPCOMING VACCINE CLINICS:
- December 29: Moderna Booster Clinic (ages 18+) by appointment only
Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11400 Moss Avenue, Cumberland, MD
Register online at https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/0511621369. - December 29: Fairgrounds Walk-In Services (no appointment needed)
Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11400 Moss Avenue, Cumberland, MD- First and second doses of Moderna (ages 18+)
- First and second doses of Pfizer (ages 12+)
- Booster doses of Pfizer (ages 16+)
- January 5: Youth Pfizer Vaccine Clinic (ages 5 -11) by appointment only
Allegany County Health Department, 12501 Willowbrook Road, Cumberland, MD
Register online at https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/1160824904.
For assistance registering for an appointment, county residents can call the COVID-19 call center at 240-650-3999. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are also widely available in the community at local pharmacies, urgent care clinics, and some primary care providers.
Free drive-thru COVID testing is available at the Allegany County Fairgrounds on Mondays from 2 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The testing clinic will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Please note that the health department does NOT offer walk-in COVID-19 testing or treatment at its Willowbrook Office Complex facilities.
The Maryland Department of Health coronavirus dashboard (coronavirus.maryland.gov) is now able to report county-level case and positivity rates, which had been unavailable since early December due to a network security incident. However, county-level data on cumulative cases and deaths is still not available from MDH. The most recent data shows that Allegany County has now achieved lower positivity and case rates than the statewide average, for the first time in several months.
Allegany County COVID-19 case rate and positivity as of December 26:
- Cases Per 100,000 Population: 76.16 (Maryland: 112.23)
- Positivity Rate: 9.25% (Maryland: 11.09%)
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