Baltimore will relax COVID-19 capacity limits starting March 26, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Wednesday.
The mayor urged everyone to continue to take the pandemic seriously. “I will continue to caution Baltimoreans that this pandemic is still serious,” Scott said. “Far too many people, one a day, are still dying from this pandemic here in our city. We know that today is St. Patrick’s Day. Do not act a fool today because you might kill somebody. Understand how serious this is.”
The mayor made the announcements during an afternoon news conference Wednesday. After the news conference, Scott received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, administered by Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa.
As an elected leader, Scott, 36, has been eligible for the vaccine since mid-January as part of Phase 1B of the rollout. He said Wednesday that he decided to wait until now because he didn’t “feel right” about receiving it ahead of eligible seniors when supplies were limited.
Scott’s vaccination was one of the first delivered as part of a “continuity of government” vaccination program, launched Wednesday at BCCC, which aims to get all city employees vaccinated. Dozens of city employees waited in line to get inside the site as Scott was vaccinated outdoors. After receiving the shot, he joked with reporters that he felt ready to run laps and lift some weights.
“We wanted me to get this today as part of our continuity of government to show our workers that it’s safe,” Scott said. “But also to use it as an example to my generation, who are the people who are contracting the virus the most, and show them just because we’re young and healthy, we need to step up and do the responsible thing and get the shot.”
After receiving the single-dose shot, Scott said he felt fine and urged residents to follow suit.
“It doesn’t matter what shot you get, get it,” Scott said. “What I just did will help save people’s lives.”