Masks + Boosters Recommended, But Not Required, In Anne Arundel As Omicron Reaches MD

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County health officials on Friday recommended wearing a face covering in public indoor settings, regardless of immunization status. The county did not reinstitute its mask mandate, however. Leaders also renewed their push for coronavirus vaccines and booster shots.

Omicron Variant Reaches Maryland

This advice came the same day that Maryland announced its first three cases from the new omicron coronavirus variant. Without naming specific locations, Gov. Larry Hogan said the positive residents all live in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

"We urge Marylanders to continue taking precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe," Hogan said in a press release, urging vaccines and boosters without mentioning masks. "This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we will continue to keep Marylanders updated as new information becomes available."

Two of the infected Marylanders live in the same home. One is a vaccinated person who recently returned from South Africa, where the omicron variant first gained steam. The other did not get the immunization, and they are a close contact of the traveler.

The third case is an unrelated inoculated person who has no known travel history. None of the residents are in the hospital.

Maryland was battling rising coronavirus metrics even before omicron landed in the state. This swell is partly from the highly contagious delta variant, which has fueled surges around the world in recent months. Officials also anticipated a wintertime spike thanks to colder weather and indoor gatherings.

These factors have contributed to an uptick in Anne Arundel's numbers. The county still has a "high" coronavirus transmission rate, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Leaders now worry how omicron will affect Anne Arundel, as much is still unknown about the variant.

"The Omicron variant is a new attack on our people by COVID-19, but the army we have built, within county government and our health care system, is battle-tested," County Executive Steuart Pittman said. "My ask is that every one of us enlist. Please vaccinate, boost, mask, and test, and plead with the people you love to do the same. That's how we will continue to save lives."

Scientists Still Studying Variant

Omicron has circulated around southern Africa in recent weeks. The World Health organization on Nov. 26 named omicron a variant of concern.

The United States on Wednesday detected its first infection from the variant. That case came in California, but omicron has since spread to several other states.

Scientists are still studying how effective the current immunizations are at preventing infection from omicron. They are also investigating the variant's:

• Transmissibility (How easy it is to spread)
• Reinfection rate (How often it infects somebody who already had COVID-19)
• Severity of disease (How bad the symptoms are)

It may take a few weeks to learn specific data, but a county press release said "early reports indicate it may transmit more easily from person to person. It also may cause people to get reinfected more easily after recovering from COVID-19."

"The good news is that we know what we need to do to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant," Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said in the release. "It’s the same as what we do now. Get vaccinated, wear your mask in public settings, and get tested if you have symptoms."

Health Department Offers Tips

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health issued this guidance to prevent infection from omicron:

Vaccinations

• Everyone ages 5 and older is eligible and should get vaccinated. Vaccines are safe, free and effective.
• All vaccinated adults 18 and over should get a booster shot as soon as they are eligible. For people who received 2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna, get a booster 6 months after your second dose. For people who got Johnson and Johnson, get a booster 2 months after your one dose.
• To find a vaccination provider near you, please visit, https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine. For a list of Anne Arundel County Department of Health booster clinics, please visit, https://aacounty.org/covidvax/third-dose/index.html

Masking

• Wear a mask in public indoor settings regardless of your vaccination status.
• Make sure that your mask is worn consistently and correctly covering the mouth and nose.
• Medical grade masks provide better protection than cloth masks or face coverings.

Testing

• Get tested if you aren’t feeling well or have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and isolate if you are positive. PCR testing is available at various locations throughout the county. Please visit, https://www.aahealth.org/covid19-testing/ for more information on testing locations and to register.
• At-home rapid test kits are available at all branches of the Anne Arundel County Public Libraries

Physical Distancing

• Stay home when you are sick and limit your interactions with others.
• Avoid large crowds and poorly ventilated areas.
• Limit the number of households or people outside of your social bubble gathering together. Encourage guests to get vaccinated or tested before attending and stay home if they aren't feeling well. Consider outdoor gatherings or highly ventilated areas.
• Physical distancing of 6 feet or more in public settings or when gathered with people outside of your household.

Hand Hygiene

• Practice good hand hygiene, especially when interacting with the public or people outside of your household.

Businesses

• Implement a “Vaccination or Testing” requirement for businesses or events where people are unmasked.
• Require masking in indoor public settings.
• Provide masks in all areas where the public is present.
• Improve ventilation in indoor spaces
• Incentivize or require vaccination of employees

Who's Eligible

Any fully vaccinated adult is eligible for a booster. Those who got the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna inoculations must wait six months from their second injection to get the additional dose. Those who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have to wait two months after their single dose.

The Pfizer immunization is the only one with full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That clearance is good for residents 16 and up. Pfizer also has emergency-use authorization for anybody aged 5 to 15.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson inoculations have emergency-use authorization for locals 18 and up.

Emergency-use authorization requires less FDA review than full approval, which is the golden stamp of support from regulators.

Residents can book a vaccine by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling Maryland's multilingual call center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

RELATED:

• Omicron Variant Confirmed In 3 Maryland Residents: Governor
• Anne Arundel County Coronavirus Transmission 'High': CDC
• Hogan Urges Vaccination, Testing As Omicron Variant Lands In US
• COVID Omicron Variant Prompts Hogan To Urge Booster Shots In MD
• WHO Says Omicron Variant Has Mutations That Are 'Concerning'
• Worrisome Omicron COVID Variant Rattles World Leaders: Here's Why
• New Omicron Variant Stokes World Fears, Triggers Travel Bans
• New COVID-19 Variant In South Africa: Explainer

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.