State reports 603 new infections
Experts warn public to remain vigilant as virus variants spread
It’s March again.
Nearly a year after confirming its first cases of the coronavirus, Maryland is still reporting hundreds of new cases and more new deaths every day.
But as the state’s caseload and death toll continue to climb, thousands of residents are getting vaccinated to protect them from serious infections.
Here’s where Maryland’s virus-related metrics stand as of Monday morning.
Cases
Maryland reported 603 new infections Monday morning, bringing the total count of confirmed infections in the state to 382,702. Friday will mark the one-year anniversary of Maryland’s first confirmed cases.
After reporting more than 75,000 cases in both December and January, the state reported about 27,000 infections from Feb. 1 to Monday. However, February was the first month since October that the state reported fewer than 1 million test results. Testing was down 32% from January, according to state data, a steep drop that a Maryland Department of Health representative said was because of severe storms and Presidents Day.
“As we continue to analyze testing data, we have determined that there is no sustained downward trend in COVID-19 testing at this time in Maryland,” Charles Gischlar said in an email.
Deaths
Another 10 Marylanders died because of the coronavirus or its effects, the state reported. In all, 7,697 residents with confirmed COVID-19 infections have died.
The state reported more than 700 deaths in February, almost 500 fewer than January.
Hospitalizations
There were 904 patients in Maryland’s hospitals facing the effects of COVID-19 Monday, 35 more than Sunday. Of those, 235 cases require intensive care, five fewer than Sunday.
The increase in hospitalizations ends a six-day streak of declines. More than 35,000 Marylanders have been hospitalized because of the virus at some point over the past year.
Vaccinations
Another 15,781 Marylanders received their first doses of coronavirus vaccine Sunday, meaning 14.2% of the state’s 6 million-plus residents are at least partially vaccinated. About 7.8% are fully vaccinated, meaning they have received both of the shots of the two available vaccines needed for best protection. Shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s recently approved one-dose vaccine could begin as soon as Monday. The state expects to receive 49,600 of them this week.
The state has administered more than 1.3 million doses in all and is averaging over 35,000 doses per day over the past week, the highest that metric has been.
Vaccines by age: Of those who have received at least one dose of vaccine, about 52% have been at least 60 years old, an age range considered especially susceptible to the virus’ effects.
Vaccines by race and ethnicity: Nearly two-thirds of the doses Maryland has administered have gone to the state’s white residents, who represent about 59% of the overall state population. Black residents, who represent 31% of Maryland’s population, have received about a fourth as many doses as the state’s white residents. Hispanic and Latino residents have received about 4.1% of the administered doses but account for 11% of Maryland’s population.
Vaccines by county: At 7.95%, Prince George’s County is the only one of the state’s 24 jurisdictions to have begun the vaccination process for less than 10% of its population, despite being home to Maryland’s largest mass vaccination site at Six Flags America. Prince George’s County, Charles County and Baltimore City are the bottom three in both partial vaccinations and full vaccinations per capita; all three jurisdictions are majority minority.
Positivity rate
The state’s seven-day testing positivity rate, which effectively measures the percentage of tests that return positive results in a weeklong span, stood at 3.52% Monday, up slightly from 3.46% Sunday.It was the second day in a row the seven-day average positivity increased, the first time that has happened since early February. The figure then, however, was about 2.5 percentage points higher than it is now.
In 2013, Steven Washington went to the Baltimore Animal and Care Shelter (BARCS) to adopt a four-legged companion. He found one — and also found a new volunteer mission helping find homes for dogs and cats.
For the past eight years, the Nottingham resident has taken on several roles, from greeting visitors to nurturing animals to help reduce their stress during their stay at the shelter.
Washington, 60,who retired after a marketing career, had visited animal shelters across the region before heading to BARCS after a friend recommended the shelter. Washington says he admired the way the staff took the time to match him with a dog that would be best suited for him. That’s when he came across a one-year-old mixed pit bull who he later named Spike.
On the day of adoption, Washington had two papers placed in front of him, one to finalize the adoption of his new dog and the other to become a volunteer at BARCS.
“When I was walking through [the shelter] something in my heart and spirit was tugging at me to help these animals,” Washington said.
BARCS takes in cats and dogs that are either stray or being surrendered by their owners. In 2020, the shelter took in 7,000 cats and dogs, as well as, 700 exotic and farm animals.
Its mission has been to keep animals alive.
The shelter has increased their live-release rate — the percentage of animals adopted or returned to their owners instead of being euthanized — from 2% in 2004 to more than 90% in 2018, according to their website.
In May, BARCS moved from their original location on Stockholm Street, near M&T Bank Stadium, to Giles Road in Cherry Hill to have more space. All of their animals had to be either adopted or fostered before the move. As the transition took place during the COVID pandemic, BARCS had to cut its staff of 70 to about 35 members to care for 56 dogs, 56 cats, five fish, one raccoon and one bat.
“I was afraid the organization was going to get flooded [during COVID] with animal surrenders but it didn’t turn out that way,” Washington said. “We haven’t been to full capacity.”
Matt Fazzino, assistant director of animal care at BARCS, credits volunteers like Washington for finding pets a forever home.
“Steve knows the dogs really well and has been [placing] the dogs really well,” Fazzino said. “Besides helping with applications and matchmaking, he comes in and does everything enthusiastically and sincerely.”
Washington says being able to help get dogs adopted is the highlight of volunteering at BARCS.
“Like people, dogs need mental and physical stimulation,” Washington said. “Animals who are living in a shelter experience high levels of stress because they may not be getting the same amount of exercise and attention compared to dogs in a home.”
Fazzino says that BARCS offers homeless, abused and neglected animals a second chance and in some cases, a third, fourth or fifth chance.
“We see dogs that are more stressed,” Fazzino said. “We take the time to help out as much as possible to make sure they’re getting the best treatment and making sure their stay is easy.”
For instance, in October, BARCS welcomed a dog named Barak that was temporarily displaced after a gas explosion in Northwest Baltimore.
“Steve had a special bond with Barak ,” Fazzino said. “When Barak would come out to play, he would always curl up on Big Steve’s lap.”
Fazzino explained that Washington was given the nickname “Big Steve” because he’s tall, but also has a big heart.
Washington suggests there are ways to help ease the tension of an animal, such
as giving dog treats or taking extra long walks. Giving additional attention is a tactic Washington used with Barak before he was reunited with his owner.
“In the beginning, Barak would constantly bark,” Washington said. “When I would come out, I would spend extra time with Barak.”
Washington says being at BARCS helps put his life into perspective.
“I’ll totally forget all of the things that were bothering me earlier in the day,” Washington said.
Hannah Geiger, a training coordinator at BARCS, says Washington has made a lasting impact on her.
“Steve puts me back in a good place and always brightens my day,” Geiger said. “He is valued here.”
The University of Baltimore announced Monday that it would receive a record $5 million gift from real estate developer Samuel G. Rose to create a scholarship fund for cash-strapped undergraduates.
The money from Rose, a commercial real estate developer who lives in Miami and Bethesda, will create a new scholarship fund for college students having trouble affording tuition.
Preference will be given to students transferring to the University of Baltimore who have already completed the bulk of their freshman year, according to a university news release.
It is the largest cash gift from a single donor that the school’s endowment has received, university President Kurt L. Schmoke said. Rose graduated from the law school in 1962, though he never worked as an attorney.
“Sam’s generosity has been just tremendous and it is inspiring,” Schmoke said. He noted that as a young student in the late 1950s, Rose struggled to make ends meet.
“Sam wants to help undergraduates who are lower-income like he was growing
up, “Schmoke said.
“Our student body is older, with an average age of 28. Most work full-time. The University of Baltimore has always been a career-oriented place, and that attracted Sam. He knew our students need help juggling many different things in their lives.”
It is the second seven-figure gift in less than a year that Rose has pledged to the university. Last fall, Rose donated $1.2 million in an emergency fund for students who sought to continue their educations during the pandemic. Among other things, that money was used to purchase computers and other equipment enabling students to attend classes remotely.
A third seven-figure gift to the University of Baltimore that will have a criminal justice focus is in the works, Rose and Schmoke said.
Rose, 84, said that his most important professional mentor was the visionary developer Jim Rouse, for whom he worked after graduating from law school.
“Jim and I used to have these big arguments,” Rose said.
“He believed that housing was the way to improve society, that getting people out of slums and crummy neighborhoods was the key to a better life.
“I said, ‘No, Jim, education is the answer. I’d rather give a guy a skill and let him make his own way.’ “
The money for the scholarship fund is coming from the sale of two artworks from Rose’s personal collection by the pioneering African American painters Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden. The paintings were purchased by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a museum under construction in Los Angeles, founded by George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars film franchise.
Even that sale will forward Rose’s educational aims by transferring two paintings by modern masters from private hands into a public viewing space.
“If you can get an education and find something you love to do, you have a shot at a decent life,” Rose said.
Rose grew up in Northwest Baltimore, the son of a former longshoreman turned insurance salesman. Though he never practiced law, he has fond memories of his legal studies.
“At the time, the law school was in the basement of a church,” he said. “They didn’t even have a building. The classes were huge, 200 students. But I passed the Maryland bar exam on my first try.”
He recalls that an arrogant professor named Spiro Agnew rubbed him the wrong way.
“He said something in a lecture one day that I didn’t understand so I went up after class to talk to him,” Rose recalled.
“He said, ‘Look, kid, don’t ask questions. Just write down what I say.’ I thought, ‘I don’t like this guy.’ ”
More than a decade later, Agnew resigned as U.S. vice president in 1973 after pleading no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden met virtually Monday with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador — a chance for the pair to talk more fully about migration, confronting the coronavirus and cooperating on economic and national security issues.
“This is what I know, the United States and Mexico are stronger when we stand together,” Biden told Lopez Obrador at the outset of the meeting, alluding to past differences between the countries. “We’re safer when we work together. Whether it’s addressing the challenges of our shared border or getting this pandemic under control.”
Mexico’s president had said he intended during the meeting to propose to Biden a new immigrant labor program that could bring 600,000 to 800,000 Mexican and Central American immigrants a year to work legally in the United States.
A senior Biden administration official declined to say whether the U.S. president would back or oppose the proposal, saying only that both countries agree on the need to expand legal pathways for migration. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Asked about the Mexican president’s proposal, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that reinstituting the “Bracero” program would require action by Congress.
The original Bracero program allowed Mexicans to work temporarily in the United States to fill labor shortages during World War II and for a couple of decades after the war. Lopez Obrador said the U.S. economy needs Mexican workers because of “their strength, their youth.”
On Monday, Lopez Obrador said his new proposal would be a program not only for agriculture workers but for other sectors and professionals.
The White House also signaled that Biden was not willing to budge on another Lopez Obrador request — to send U.S. manufactured coronavirus vaccines to his country. Psaki said Biden would not agree to the move, saying the president was first focused on getting Americans vaccinated. A similar posture toward Canada has also proved to be a wrinkle in that relationship.
The Biden official said the meeting will help Biden begin to institutionalize the relationship with Mexico, rather than let it be determined by tweets — a preferred form of diplomacy by his predecessor, Donald Trump.
The United States shares a trade agreement — most recently updated in 2018 and 2019 — with Mexico and Canada, which are its second- and third-biggest trade partners after China. The trade agreement could complicate Lopez Obrador’s efforts to possibly defund and eliminate independent regulatory, watchdog and transparency agencies in Mexico.
There are also questions of whether Lopez Obrador will warm to Biden’s efforts to address climate change and move to cleaner energy sources. Lopez Obrador supports a measure to make that country’s national grids prioritize power from government plants, many of which burn coal or fuel oil.At Monday’s news conference, Lopez Obrador confirmed they would discuss climate change, but he said “Biden is respectful of our sovereignty” because “he doesn’t see Mexico as America’s backyard.”
Pressure is also building at the U.S. southern border with an increase in children crossing into the country without visas. Border Patrol agents are apprehending an average of more than 200 children crossing the border without a parent per day, but nearly all 7,100 beds for immigrant children maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services are full.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — With the U.S. vaccination drive picking up speed and a third formula on the way, states eager to reopen for business are easing coronavirus restrictions despite warnings from health experts that the outbreak is far from over and that moving too quickly could prolong the misery.
Massachusetts on Monday made it much easier to grab dinner and a show. In Missouri, where individual communities get to make the rules, the two biggest metropolitan areas — St. Louis and Kansas City — are relaxing some measures. Iowa’s governor recently lifted mask requirements and limits on the number of people allowed in bars and restaurants, while the town of Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas, now lets establishments stay open until midnight.
Mike Lee, who owns Trezo Mare Restaurant & Lounge in Kansas City, said he hopes increased vaccine access, combined with warmer weather, will improve business. “I think that people are excited to put this past them and be able to start to get back to their ways of doing things,” Lee said.
The push to reopen comes as COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the states are ramping up.
Nearly 20% of the nation’s adults — or over 50 million people — have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 10% have been fully inoculated 2 months into the campaign to snuff out the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Johnson & Johnson shipped out nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized, one-shot COVID-19 vaccine Sunday night to be delivered to states for use starting Tuesday. The company will deliver about 16 million more doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June.
That adds to the supply being distributed by Pfizer and Moderna and should help the nation amass enough doses by midsummer to vaccinate all adults. The White House is encouraging Americans to take the first dose available to them.
In New York City, where limited indoor dining has resumed, officials said the J&J vaccine will help the city to inoculate millions more people by summer,
including through door-todoor vaccinations of homebound senior citizens.
But the efforts come with strong warnings from health officials against reopening too quickly, as worrisome coronavirus variants spread.
On Monday, the head of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, warned state officials and ordinary Americans not to let down their guard, saying she is “really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures that we have recommended.”
“I remain deeply concerned about a potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic,” she said. “We stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground that we have gained.”
Cases and hospitalizations
have plunged since the end of January, and deaths have also dropped sharply, but they are still running at dangerously high levels and have even risen slightly over the past several days.
“We cannot be resigned to 70,000 cases a day and 2,000 daily deaths,” Walensky said.
Overall, the outbreak has killed more than a half-million Americans.
Justin Lessler, an expert in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email that the vaccine already is contributing to a decrease in severe cases and deaths among older people, and is “quickly becoming a bigger contributor” nationally.
“I suspect we will see it overtake natural infection as the biggest driver of immunity late spring earliest, more likely midsummer,”
Lessler said.
The Biden administration wants to see all three vaccines distributed evenly, while also acknowledging that the easy-to-handle J&J vaccine will be used in pop-up mobile sites and locations without freezer storage capacity.
States are hoping that the surging vaccine supply will help tamp down new infections.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker lifted restaurant capacity limits entirely. Theaters can open at 50% capacity, with a maximum of 500 people. And capacity limits across all businesses have been raised to 50%.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced a agreement Monday aimed at getting most children back in classrooms by the end of
March.
The U.S. ranks fourth in the world, behind Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Britain, in the number of doses administered relative to the population, according to data compiled by the University of Oxford.
President Joe Biden fell short of his goal of setting up 100 new federally operated mass vaccination sites by the end of February, with just seven up and running.
White House vaccination coordinator Jeff Zients also acknowledged that scheduling of vaccination appointments “remains too difficult in too many places.”
But he said the White House is working with states to improve scheduling systems and is exploring federal support for call centers to make it easier for people to get appointments.