Annapolis, MD (WNAV) — Anne Arundel County’s mask advisory is now more urgent and more serious according to the county health department. County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said everyone should mask up in public indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings, and that mask-wearing is now more important than ever for Anne Arundel residents.”Now is the time that people really do need to put those masks on, to decrease the viral spread, because we are really stressing our hospitals,” Dr. Kalyanaraman said.
The health officer added that it is more effective to be proactive than it is to be reactive when attempting to slow the spread of COVID-19. The onset of winter and the arrival of the new Omicron variant are likely to be detrimental to public health in Anne Arundel, and Dr. Kalyanarama said the worst is yet to come based on data from other states and countries fighting a new wave of coronavirus cases. Many of the new confirmed cases caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant in Maryland are in schools, nursing homes, and other clusters.
The Anne Arundel County Health Department issued a public health alert on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, to urge residents to wear masks more often. Dr. Kalyanaraman said everyone should get fully vaccinated (including a booster shot) as soon as possible.
