Maryland’s governor says officials “are closely monitoring the situation” with the Omicron variant

Roshan Davis

2 years ago

The South African doctor who alerted officials of the possibility of a new variant, later named omicron, said the "unusual but mild" symptoms were what caught her attention. (Photo: Getty Images)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WDVM) — Maryland Governor Larry Hogan seemed confident in a Monday press release about the state’s ability to handle the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

While the United States has yet to confirm a case of the mutation, Hogan’s statement said the state’s health officials are “closely monitoring the situation”. The governor also pushed for all residents age 18 and older to get their booster shots — something the CDC is now also strongly recommending.

WDVM 25 reached out to the Maryland Department of Health for comment, but the organization says not much is known about the variant. At this time, however, there seem to be no plans to offer additional vaccine incentives or to bring back mass vaccination sites.

Update (11/30/21, 3:14 p.m.):

According to the MDH, “There is adequate capacity with the state’s current COVID-19 vaccine providers to give anyone who wants a booster dose at the state’s pharmacies, hospitals, local health departments, and primary care physicians. There is not currently a plan to reinstitute state-run mass vaccination sites.”