“Sunday marks a monumental day in our fight against this deadly pandemic. This means a step in the direction of protecting our elderly and ensuring their safety, ”said Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, cabinet secretary in the Department of Aging and Long-Term Services.
The statement noted that people receiving vaccines will need two doses from the same manufacturer administered several weeks apart. Pharmacies will send employees three times in the coming months to administer vaccines.
Dr Tracie Collins, secretary of the Health Department, said that people who have been vaccinated can still carry and transmit COVID-19, so it is important that they continue to wear masks and take other care, such as washing their hands and distance.
State officials said the first round of 31,000 doses would be delivered to long-term care facilities in the next four weeks.
As of Saturday, the state reported that 3,591 residents in long-term care centers were infected with COVID and 638 people died.
“That is why it is essential that we continue to wear our masks, avoid group meetings and follow state public health orders. The result of not doing this is simply deadly for our elderly people, ”said Hotrum-Lopez.
(Copyright 2020 from the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)