Proof of vaccination status required for Maryland hospital workers, nursing home staff, Hogan says.
The governor also called on the FDA to officially approve the COVID-19 vaccines, calling it the "most significant hurdle to reaching those who are still hesitant.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is expanding his mandate on vaccinations among certain groups of health care workers to include all hospital employees and nursing home staff.
Effective immediately, employees of Maryland nursing homes and hospitals will all be required to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular screening and weekly COVID-19 testing, Hogan said. All employees will be required to get their first shot by Sept.1. Facilities that fail to comply or fail to report their vaccination data will be subject to fines, civil penalties or criminal sanctions, according to the new order.
Overall, 79% of staff at Maryland nursing homes have been vaccinated. According to the Maryland Department of Health, only three of the state's 230 nursing home facilities have vaccinated 100% of their staff, while 33 facilities have above a 90% rate.
Hogan called out 10 nursing homes by name that had below a 55% vaccination rate among staff; none were in the DMV region. The facilities with the worst performance are in Western Maryland and on the Eastern Shore, where vaccination rates among the general public are also lagging behind state averages, the health department says.
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