ANNAPOLIS, MD—With the Delta variant accounting for nearly all of the new COVID-19 cases in the State of Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday afternoon announced new vaccination protocols for state employees who work in congregate settings.

Effective September 1, employees in 48 state facilities will be required to show proof of vaccination, or adhere to strict face covering requirements and submit to regular, ongoing COVID-19 testing.

“We know that right now the Delta variant accounts for nearly 100% of the new cases currently being sequenced in Maryland and it accounts for 93% of all the cases nationwide,” said Governor Hogan. “We also understand that it may cause more severe illness than earlier variants. We do need to take the Delta variant very seriously.”

New vaccination protocols will apply to state employees in the following agencies:

• Department of Health (11 state health care facilities)
• Department of Juvenile Services (12 facilities)
• Department of Public Safety and Corrections (6 detention centers and 18 correctional facilities)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (Charlotte Hall Veterans Home)

State employees in these facilities will need to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by September 1st. The governor said that anyone attempting to provide false proof of vaccination will be subject to disciplinary action.

Governor Hogan called on the private operators of the state’s nursing homes to institute similar vaccination requirements for their employees. If nursing home operators do not act, state health officials are prepared to take further actions if necessary.

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) continues to strongly recommend that unvaccinated individuals wear a face covering in indoor settings and situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Businesses and other workplaces may set their own policies to protect public health as they deem appropriate.

MDH has added post-vaccination infection data to its COVID-19 data dashboard. To date, state health officials have identified 3,836 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated Maryland residents.

Marylanders can get a free COVID-19 vaccine at any of the thousands of distribution points across the state, including hundreds of pharmacies and primary care providers, by visiting https://covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

Video from Thursday’s press conference is available below.