‘The Pandemic Is Not Over’ Baltimore Mayor Weighs Mandatory Employee Vaccinations, Plans Booster Shot Roll Out As Cases Rise 471%

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott did not denote immoderate caller restrictions but helium warned they could beryllium coming without much radical getting vaccinated.

Mayor Scott advises everyone to abide by Baltimore’s indoor disguise mandate “The pandemic is not over” @wjz

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021

“As the Delta variant continues to spread, we cognize that vaccines are the quality betwixt beingness and decease successful our communities and for our residents,” the politician said astatine a Thursday greeting quality conference.

Scott said discussions are underway connected whether to necessitate vaccinations for metropolis employees and to supply incentives for them to get the shot.

The politician is not acceptable to denote a vaccine mandate for metropolis employees; helium volition marque a determination connected whether to bash that soon. According to a survey, astir 60% of employees self-reported they are vaccinated. @wjz

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021

It follows the governor’s mandate to vaccinate each infirmary and nursing location employees statewide.

Maryland Mandates Vaccines For Hospital And Nursing Home Staff; Governor Hogan Pushes FDA To Approve Vaccines For Younger Children https://t.co/BtzavQj8mm @wjz #coronavirus #COVID #Maryland #VaccineMandate

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 18, 2021

In Baltimore, nary last determination has been made connected mandates oregon incentives. “Nothing is final, and anyone other who told you thing other doesn’t cognize what they’re talking about,” Mayor Scott said.

Baltimore has seen cases emergence 471% successful the past month.

Baltimore coronavirus cases up 471% compared to 1 period ago; Mayor Scott speaks successful moments @wjz pic.twitter.com/yUSPPenWmy

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021

“We are peculiarly acrophobic astir increases successful lawsuit counts among younger populations. Data for the past week shows the highest rates among the 20 to 29 property radical with the 2nd highest property radical being those nether the property of 10,” Dr. Dzirasa, the city’s wellness commissioner, told reporters.

A agleam spot: First-dose vaccinations among African Americans person risen 12.2% since July.

Last week, WJZ spoke to a COVID-19 subsister who works for Johns Hopkins. She was initially reluctant to get the vaccine but changed her caput erstwhile she saw the surge successful Delta-variant cases.

The different large announcement from the metropolis involves booster shots: The national authorities is readying to connection them opening the week of Sept. 20 pending a greenish airy from the FDA, and Baltimore leaders said they are prepared.

Baltimore City’s wellness section says they are prepared to administer booster doses successful September; they volition archetypal rotation them retired to the antithetic groups that were prioritized during archetypal vaccinations. @wjz

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021

“Boosters volition beryllium rolled retired archetypal to individuals who were prioritized for vaccination astatine the earliest signifier of the city’s vaccine campaign,” Dr. Dzirasa said. “This includes wellness attraction workers, archetypal responders and individuals moving successful nationalist information among others.”

She said the metropolis is scouting locations for a semi-permanent booster vaccine tract and would besides connection them astatine assorted clinics astir the Baltimore and would marque definite determination is equitable entree successful areas with little rates of vaccination.

The boosters are important to boost immunity arsenic determination person been breakthrough cases statewide. Those are infections among the afloat vaccinated.

Latest #COVID19 breakthrough lawsuit accusation for Maryland: Since the opening of the year, determination person been 627 hospitalizations and 71 deaths among the afloat vaccinated. @wjz pic.twitter.com/o7wW5VyBhE

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021

Baltimore City lags down the authorities successful the vaccination complaint with 65% of adults successful the metropolis having received astatine slightest 1 dose. Maryland’s statewide mean is adjacent to 80%.

Almost 8,000 radical received their archetypal vaccine doses successful Maryland yesterday @wjz pic.twitter.com/0kIzGXM8Ew

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 19, 2021