Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) urged people who don’t want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus to do so, telling them “just get the damn vaccine.”
Hogan made the comment during a news conference as he was announcing the state’s new vaccine mandate, which only applies to state employees in congregate settings.
He was speaking to residents of the state who have not yet been vaccinated, noting that most people currently hospitalized or dying of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
“We do not want any Marylanders or any more Americans to become one of those preventable stories. So please, just get the damn vaccine,” Hogan said.
“The vaccines are free, safe, they work, and they are widely available everywhere across the state at thousands of distribution points, including hundreds of pharmacies and primary care providers,” he continued.
Hogan said Thursday that employees in 48 state facilities will have to be vaccinated by Sept. 1, or submit to “strict face covering requirements” and repeated COVID-19 testing.
The mandate applies to state health facilities, as well as facilities run by the Departments of Juvenile Services, Public and Safety Corrections and Veterans Affairs.
Hogan encouraged private operators of nursing homes to implement similar mandates.
Hogan’s action comes on the heels of other states taking similar actions.
New York, Colorado and California have both mandated state employees to be vaccinated. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced a similar mandate on Thursday.