BALTIMORE MD (Friday, May 14, 2021) — Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa, MD released the following joint statement on Governor Hogan’s decision this evening to lift the state indoor mask mandate, effective tomorrow: 

"Effective tomorrow, May 15th, Baltimore City will relax capacity restrictions, in alignment with the new State of Maryland order. Additionally, until the City reaches a higher level of vaccination, indoor masking and masking at outdoor venues will be required. As such, effective immediately, the Health Commissioner is issuing an updated Directive and Health Order requiring face masking in Baltimore City. 

This evening, Baltimore City passed a significant milestone, with 39.9 percent of City residents 16 and older being fully vaccinated. Based on available data, Baltimore City's fully vaccinated rate outpaces other mid-Atlantic cities such as Philadelphia (34.5 percent for residents 16 and older) and Washington, DC (23.9 percent of all residents) and we continue to encourage all Baltimore City residents, age 12 and up, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

The CDC’s recent guidance allowing fully vaccinated individuals to remove their masks indoors and outdoors is a triumph of science. This shift in guidance is indicative of the ability the approved vaccines have to reduce the chances of significant illness from COVID, and also increasingly, to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. We see this updated guidance as a clear sign that all eligible residents should get vaccinated as quickly as possible, in order to return our city and our country to pre-pandemic levels of normalcy. 

Masking works. It has been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Public health experts agree that disease transmission is much more likely in indoor spaces, especially when masks aren not worn. Baltimore City’s response to COVID-19 will continue to be guided by the science and focused on public health.

Baltimore City Health Department staff and clinical partners continue to bring vaccines directly to communities who need them at mobile and pop-up clinics. Alongside the Baltimore City Fire Department, the City has launched a door-to-door vaccination campaign, serving our homebound residents. We also continue to support peer-to-peer conversations about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines via Health Department-trained VALUE Vaccine Ambassadors. These local community members encourage residents to ask questions, and provide answers, about vaccine safety. 

Now more than ever we can win the fight against COVID. Baltimore, we're counting on you to get vaccinated now so we can return to pre-pandemic normalcy. It's Baltimore versus COVID and we will win this, together."

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Baltimore City Vaccination Information
It has never been easier to get vaccinated. We encourage residents to register for a vaccine at a Baltimore City Health Department Vaccine Clinic by visiting covax.baltimorecity.gov or by calling our COVID Call Center at 443-984-8650, Monday through Friday from 8:30am-6:30pm, and Saturdays from 9am-1pm.

Additionally, those 12 and older can seek Pfizer vaccine appointments with the University of Maryland Baltimore, which has set up a direct COVID-19 vaccine appointment website at getthevaccinebaltimore.org.

Many mass vaccination sites operated by the Maryland Department of Health also provide Pfizer vaccines, and more information can be found at massvax.maryland.gov.

Local pharmacies and clinical partners are also providing vaccines, and residents can enter their address to find local vaccine clinics on the Maryland Department of Health's Vaccination Site Locator.