Maryland State Board of Education, MSDE to review school masking requirement in special virtual meeting on Wednesday

BALTIMORE, MD—Following a special meeting featuring public comment from stakeholders, community members and health experts on Maryland’s emergency school mask requirement, the Maryland State Board of Education will host a special virtual meeting on Wednesday, December 1 at 1:00 p.m. via WebEx. At the meeting, the State Board of Education will review public testimony, input and written comments as well […]

Governor Hogan: 500,000 rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits to be distributed statewide

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Wednesday announced that the Maryland Department of Health will make 500,000 Abbott BinaxNOW Ag At-Home COVID-19 test kits available through a new program being launched statewide. The at-home test kits have begun to arrive in the state, and MDH is distributing them to local health departments to make available free of charge at designated locations […]

Governor Hogan announces immediate expansion of COVID-19 booster eligibility to all adults

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Friday announced that the State of Maryland has expanded eligibility for COVID-19 boosters to include all adults. “As of today, Maryland has already administered more than 800,000 booster shots, and we are immediately expanding our campaign further to include all adults,” said Governor Hogan. “As the holiday season approaches, with more travel and more gatherings, […]

Monkeypox confirmed in Maryland resident who traveled to Nigeria

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria. The individual presented with mild symptoms, is currently recovering in isolation, and is not hospitalized. MDH officials, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, say that no special precautions are recommended for […]

Maryland State Board of Education, Maryland State Department of Education seeking public input on school masking requirement

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland State Board of Education will host a special virtual meeting to collect feedback on the state’s emergency school masking requirement. The virtual meeting will be take place on Tuesday, November 16 at 1 p.m. via WebEx. Last spring, the State Board passed a resolution calling for the return of in-person learning for the SY 2021-2022. The State […]

Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate drops below 3 percent

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Maryland’s COVID-19 health metrics continue to improve across the board, as the state has now surpassed more than 400,000 booster shots administered, officials announced on Tuesday. Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate (2.95%) has declined by 42.2% since Aug. 22, and has dropped under 3% for the first time since July 30. Maryland’s COVID-19 case rate per 100K (11.8) has declined […]

Maryland Department of Health to award $55 million in mental health, substance use grant funding

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Health on Monday announced $55 million in grant funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The funding, slated to begin distribution in November, will provide relief to behavioral health patients and service providers who have been impacted by the pandemic […]

Governor Hogan announces immediate authorization of Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and mix-and-match booster shots

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Friday issued the following statement after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final approval for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and ‘mix and match’ COVID-19 booster shots: “From day one of this crisis, our focus has been on preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Our initial COVID strategy was one of containment, which became mitigation, […]