PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Schools Underway William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Donna Thomas continues traveling to work daily from her home in Southeast D.C. to prepare student meals at Capitol Heights Elementary in Maryland. Although the cook of 28 years at Capitol Heights isn’t fond of taking many medications, she wants to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I love the kids. I want to do what’s right,” Thomas, 58, said. “I don’t want to catch COVID. It’s killing a whole bunch of people.” Thomas plans to make an appointment as part of Prince George’s County public school employees vaccine rollout plan to administer the required two doses to its 22,000 employees. PG Schools CEO Monica Goldson joined the 1,400 scheduled for inoculations Jan. 30-31
at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. Although a pending snowstorm hit the D.C. region Sunday, Jan. 31, the center opened for employees who pre-registered to still receive a vaccine. School system support staff can set up appointments to receive the vaccine this week at the Kaiser Permanente Lanham Rehabilitation Center. Other public school systems in the region hosted vaccination clinics during the weekend. In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam visited the clinic in Prince William County Saturday where 2,400 staff members planned to receive a shot. International chef Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen organization provided meals in the District for teachers where nearly 3,000 were vaccinated. Back in Prince George’s County, the goal is to complete the vaccine rollout no later than March 27. Goldson said the school system would have a better assessment on its plan to resume in-person learning in the middle of February. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Jan. 21 for all school
5 Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson, left, receives a COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 30 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. (Photo courtesy of PGCPS)
systems to resume some form of in-person instruction March 1. “The governor does not have the right to do that,” said Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the county’s Educators’ Association who also received a shot Saturday. “He’s wrong and I think Dr. Goldson is doing the right job and we’re going to stand behind her
Maryland Medical Experts Provide COVID-19 Advice By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk has become known as a healthcare advocate and expert in Annapolis but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected her personally with the death of her father, cousin and four close
(Courtesy photo)
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friends. Peña-Melnyk, who received the COVID-19 vaccine last week, moderated a virtual townhall Monday, Feb. 1 to reinforce the important in battling a virus that has killed about 7,000 Marylanders that include more than 1,200 in Prince George’s County. “This is not just for us [but] our
families as well,” said Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park. “We know we have a lot of health care disparities in our Black and brown communities. We need to provide this information so that people can make the decision whether to get a vaccine or not.” Three doctors associated with the University of Maryland discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, its effect on underserved communities and how data collected won’t require a person’s immigration status. Being in the healthcare field, all three also received two doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and Moderna. “I felt grateful and relieved because I have my 80-year-old mother who lives with me,” said Milagritos Tapia, a pediatric professor and a pediatric disease infectious specialist. “Working on these vaccine trials these last [several] months I’ve interacted with many more people than I would’ve otherwise had if I had not been in-
volved in that work.” Racial disparities have become apparent in the distribution of the vaccine. Prior to the town hall, Peña-Melnyk said only 15 percent of Blacks and 3 percent of Latinos have been vaccinated so far. The state of Maryland’s Black population currently sits at 31 percent and the Latino population at 15 percent. The majority Black jurisdiction of Prince George’s continues to record the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 68,000. It also houses the highest number of cases based on zip cope at 20783, which include immigrants in Langley Park, Hyattsville and Chillum. “Why is it that Black and brown people have taken the brunt of this disease?” Peña-Melnyk said. There’s more than one answer, said Stacy Garrett-Ray, a certified family physician who also serves as
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and work with her to open our schools, but only when it’s safe.” According to state law, public schools can assess its school calendars and when to reopen schools. Although some smaller school systems in Maryland have conducted a mixture of in-person and virtual learning, some of the bigger systems in the D.C. and Baltimore areas haven’t opened their buildings for students since the pandemic affected the state last March. The state could increase its daily dosage beyond 20,000 thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency providing $219 million toward COVID-19 relief efforts. Money will go toward operating six mass vaccination sites that include Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. Kristina Westin, a music teacher at Templeton Elementary in Riverdale, said schools can reopen for in-person instruction if the majority of teachers are vaccinated. In addition, she said a plan must be implemented to assess when students leave their classrooms and walk in the hallway, when to eat lunch and bus dismissal. “I think the plan would be better [to reopen the buildings next school year], but there would have to be a lot of hard thinking to get back in the building…by the end of this year,” Westin, of Silver Spring, said after receiving a vaccine. “I would love to be back in the building with our students, but my school has 1,000 students and we are bursting at the seams.” WI
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