Link to information regarding the proposed Oxford Shoreline Improvements
Links to recent Legislation of Concern
SB 486 Employment Standards During an Emergency https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB486/2021
SB 245 School Resource Officer https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB245/2021
March 4, 2021: In addition to the Talbot County Health Department Links below, information regarding vaccine locations can be found at this link. Make sure you have registered with the Talbot County Health Department if you are over 65, but you may also try to access an appointment through these other vendors while waiting for contact from Talbot County. Vaccines are delivered weekly and our divided between the Health Department, Medical Facilities and Pharmacies within the County. https://maryland.maps.arcgis.com/…/nearby/index.html…
From Talbot County Health Department January 27, 2021
CURRENT STATUS: Talbot is vaccinating phase 1A and 1B.
Due to inadequate vaccine doses allocated by the state government to Talbot County Health Department in the week January 25, 2021, Talbot County will be unable to proceed to Phase 1C. Please note the health department is only given 1-2 days notice of its vaccine allocation for the upcoming week. The supply has been 600 doses/week which are fully distributed. This week’s allocation was substantially less than requested and insufficient to meet the current interest in our community.
There has been a very strong response to receiving the vaccine from the Talbot County community. This is great news for our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, demand exceeds supply. As supply increases, they stand ready to vaccinate more people.
Phase 1B includes Talbot County residents aged 75 and older.
Interest form for residents 75 and older.
The next phase will be 1C. The Talbot County Health Department will announce when they are able to enter Phase 1C for adults age 65-74.
Interest form for residents 65-74.
More information can be found at www.talbotcovid19.org
There is also a helpline for those having trouble completing the interest form.
From Talbot County Health Department January 15, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Information:
ATTENTION TALBOT COUNTY RESIDENTS AGED 65 AND OLDER
CURRENT STATUS: Talbot County is in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution with emergency personnel and licensed medical professionals. If you or your office fall into this category and have not yet scheduled your vaccination appointment, use this healthcare form to sign up now.
Starting Monday, January 18, 2021, Talbot County will proceed into Phase 1B which includes Talbot County residents aged 75 and older.
Interest form for residents 75 and older.
The next phase will be 1C. The Talbot County Health Department will announce when they are planning to enter Phase 1C for adults age 65-74. Interest form for residents 65-74.
From Talbot County Health Department January 14, 2021
**ATTENTION TALBOT COUNTY RESIDENTS AGED 75 AND OLDER**
COVID-19 Vaccine Information:
CURRENT STATUS: Talbot County is in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution with emergency personnel and licensed medical professionals. If you or your office fall into this category and have not yet scheduled your vaccination appointment, use this form to sign up now.
Beginning Monday, January 18, 2021, Talbot County is ready to proceed into Phase 1B. Talbot County residents aged 75 and older who are interested in receiving a COVID vaccine are asked to complete this interest form.
HEALTH OFFICER UPDATE from Dr. Maria Maguire,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – STATEMENT
Statement from Talbot County Health Department Acting Health Officer Dr. Maria Maguire in response to Governor Hogan’s Jan. 14, 5:00 p.m. announcement:
For More Information:
Contact: Tracey F. Johns
COVID-19 Vaccination Public Information Officer
Talbot County Health Department
traceyfjohns@gmail.com, 410-924-7265
(Easton, MD – Jan. 14, 2020)
Dr. Maria Maguire, acting health officer for Talbot County, says the Health Department is ready to move to Phase 1B on Jan. 18 following Gov. Larry Hogan’s announcement on Thursday that he was accelerating Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
Phase 1B includes assisted living, group homes and other congregate care facilities, continuity of government officials, high risk incarcerated adults, people 75 years of age and older, and K-12 school staff. Healthcare workers and first responders were in Phase 1A.
“We are only limited by the number of vaccinations supplied,” said Dr. Maguire. “We have the capacity to vaccinate everyone in Talbot County in a timely matter.” Talbot County residents 75 years of age and older must pre-register for their COVID-19 vaccinations on the TCHD website at bit.ly/talbot-75. The Talbot County Health Dept. will then
respond to individuals to schedule vaccination clinic appointments.
TCHD also plans to set up a call center for residents to schedule vaccinations, with updates announced through social media, on the TCHD and talbotcovid19.org webpages, and through public service announcements.
As of Tues, Jan. 12, TCHD had received 1,700 Moderna vaccinations. The Health Department requests vaccinations each week, and has been receiving on average 500 vaccinations per week.TCHD has administered 1,132 vaccinations to date.
From Talbot County Health Department January 8, 2021:
Talbot County Begins COVID-19 Vaccinations
What’s The Plan?
Gov. Larry Hogan urged patience at his press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 5, while also announcing measures to speed up the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine. Acting Health Officer Dr. Maria Maguire echoes his advice, while also stressing that Talbot County’s plan is well underway.
The Talbot County Health Department has already begun giving COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare providers and others on the frontline of the public health crisis. Health Department staff are currently vaccinating first responders and have arranged vaccine clinics at private medical practices as the first line of defense, or “vaccinating the vaccinators,” as Hogan explained.
While doses of the vaccine are still limited in Talbot County, Dr. Maguire says the Health Department has a solid plan for distributing the vaccine. “Implementation is the most important piece,” she explains. “We have worked hard to make sure our plan is both efficient and effective.” Local health departments are working under the Maryland State Health Department vaccination plan.
For more about Talbot County’s vaccination plan, check out our recent Q&A with Dr. Maguire.
How many vaccines has Talbot County received and what is the plan for deploying them?
As of Wednesday, the Talbot County Health Department has received 1,100 doses of the Moderna COVID vaccine, though other facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals are receiving Pfizer vaccines. By the end of the week, we are on track to have administered more than 700 doses of these vaccines, and we also have clinics scheduled for next week at which the remaining 400 doses will be administered.
We are using those doses to vaccinate individuals in the “1A” priority group, which includes all first responders, vaccinators, and healthcare providers. Additionally, we have vaccinated law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, 911 dispatch workers, correctional staff and officers, and frontline judiciary staff in Phase 1A.
Any healthcare provider who is licensed, registered, or certified by a Maryland health occupation board or the Maryland Department of Health is eligible to receive a COVID vaccine in the Phase 1A grouping. Healthcare workers will be asked to provide proof of licensure or employment verification such as a work badge or ID to verify eligibility for the Phase 1A category.
After we have offered vaccines to all eligible recipient groups in Phase 1A, we will proceed to Phase 1B and continue with the established priorities. I anticipate we will complete our 1A phase by January 15. The number of clinics and vaccines we can administer, of course, is entirely dependent on the number of vaccine doses we receive each week, which is highly variable at this point. Our goal is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible while adhering to the risk-based prioritization plan.
Where are the vaccines being given?
These initial vaccinations are being administered at closed vaccine clinics. Eligible recipients are invited to register for an appointment, and our vaccination staff coordinates the time and location with the recipients. For some of these clinics, we go to the recipients in order to maximize convenience, but we are also hosting mass clinics where eligible participants from a number of organizations may be vaccinated.
After we enter Phase 1B, we will start hosting vaccination clinics that are open to the public. The majority of those clinics will take place at a drive-thru location in Easton, though we are also planning clinics in other locations in the county and even a mobile clinic we expect to roll out in early spring.
How do I sign up to receive my vaccination?
Everyone who receives a COVID vaccine will need to register through the state “PrepMod” registration system. This is an online, cloud-based system that allows for easy scheduling and tracking of when and where doses are administered. This online registration system is secure in order to keep your personal information confidential.
For Phase 1A recipients, they are directly emailed the registration link by the health department. When we are in Phase 1B and may start hosting vaccine clinics for members of the public, a registration link will be publicized widely to the target audience.
For example, the first tier of individuals we plan to vaccinate in the Phase 1B category is adults who are 75 years old and older. We will share the registration link widely to the public when those clinics have been scheduled so that individuals may sign up on their own. The best place to look for the most up to date information on the COVID vaccination process is the talbotcovid19.org website and Facebook feeds.
Knowing that not everyone has easy access to a computer, internet, or an email address, we will also have a call center and will work with community partners to help individuals register. In addition, we will also allow “walk-ins” so that people may register on site. However, this will be again dependent on vaccine supply. That last thing I want to happen is for anyone to be turned away from a vaccine clinic because of a lack of vaccine supply.
How will homebound residents get a vaccine?
We are actively coordinating this now in preparation for when these residents will be eligible. Fortunately, we have a wonderful Senior Care program in the health department, and they are able to go to individuals’ homes to administer vaccinations. We are also working with community partners to help identify members of these vulnerable populations so that no one is missed.
Who should be concerned about taking the vaccination?
Because COVID vaccines are new, many people understandably have questions about whether they are safe or whether they should get one. These vaccines have gone through rigorous studies and reviews to ensure not only safety, but effectiveness.
The accelerated timeline to develop these vaccines was possible because so many resources were directed at these programs, and many steps which usually happen consecutively in vaccine development were able to occur in parallel or simultaneously. Absolutely no corners were cut.
Tens of thousands of people enrolled in each of the Pfizer and Moderna trials, and, as of today, more than 5.46 million Americans and 15.9 million people in 37 different countries have received one of these vaccines.
Extraordinarily few adverse events have been reported — literally, of the 5.46 million Americans vaccinated to date, only 49 have had a serious reaction, and all were resolved with appropriate medical treatment. The most common serious reaction is anaphylaxis, which has occurred in 28 people, according to the CDC.
This is why anyone with a history of a severe allergic reaction to an ingredient in the vaccine should not get a COVID vaccine, and this applies to very few people. However, considering that nearly 360,000 people have died of COVID-19 to date, for me it was a very easy calculation. When I was offered the vaccine, I eagerly signed up to receive it as soon as possible.
The main side effect for me has been a new sense of hope and, quite frankly, less guilt as a healthcare provider of bringing COVID home to my unvaccinated family. If anyone has concerns or questions, they should reach out to their regular medical provider to discuss the benefit of getting vaccinated and look for helpful resources both at https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/faqs/ and the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronav…/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html.
Additional information about Talbot County’s vaccination program can be found at TalbotCOVID19.org or on Facebook at TalbotCOVID-19.
For statewide information, visit covidlink.maryland.gov or text MDReady to 898211.
https://talbotcovid19.org/…/Talbot-County-COVID-19…kpp
COVID-19 Update 12/31/20 – 
With the New Year comes new hope, but we must still continue to fight this fight. With the anticipated travel and gatherings of the holidays an increase in spread was expected and can already be felt both locally and nationwide. The next few weeks will see an increase in both cases and hospitalizations locally. PLEASE minimize your personal interactions over the next few weeks to reduce your exposure, continue to practice social distancing, and WEAR YOUR MASK. As vaccines become more readily available, opportunities to receive them will be announced or provided through different organizations and for specific groups. If you find yourself in a group that has this opportunity, please take advantage of it.
Representatives from FEMA, Maryland DNR and MES joined the Oxford Commissioners at their virtual meeting on November 10, 2020 to present them with a plaque representing their entrance into the FEMA Community Rating Service program and welcoming them to the program. Read the FEMA press release: Oxford MD Saves Residents Money on Flood Insurance Premiums
New to Oxford?
What are those blue lines running down Morris Street? These are temporary lines that have been placed so that the contractors can reline the water main that runs under Morris Street. The majority of this work was finished up before the holiday, with the final cut overs and restoration taking place in January, but in the meantime we all need to be aware of the construction and let others know that the work is necessary and the short term inconvenience will benefit all residents in the long run. If you see Orange Blankets placed over these lines, they are for the purpose of protecting the lines from freezing temperatures and also temporary. Please call the town office during regular hours if you have any questions 410-226-5122 and after hours if you see a problem, like a leak or tampering with any of the barriers etc., you can call the Town Manager at 443-496-1761.
November 16, 2020 update for Oxford…The daily cases of COVID are steadily increasing throughout Maryland and locally here in Talbot County. Now is the time to once again follow the CDC guidelines to reduce spread, social distancing and masks. Reduce your travels and consider ordering groceries and food for delivery or pick up.
November 11, 2020 update for Oxford…Flu season is here and we are seeing an alarming uptick in COVID cases nationwide and here in Maryland. The eastern shore numbers have been decent lately, but the concern is that the shore will lag behind the state and nation once again and our numbers will begin to rise in the near future. We in Oxford must once again push back and not allow this virus to impact our town residents. Please abide by the Governor’s request of avoiding gatherings of 25 or more people, especially were masks and social distancing is not being practiced. Please be cautious traveling outside of Oxford, and when leaving the state, get tested upon return and quarantine until you get your results. It behooves us all to stoically continue what we have learned over the last 6 months and do what is best for our family, friends and neighbors.
October 22, 2020 COVID-19 update for Oxford…
As the fall flu season is now upon us, it is everyone’s best interest to be exceptionally careful, get your flu shot and continue to practice wearing of your masks when in public and 6′ of distancing. After a lull, it seems the COVID case rate in Talbot County and on the Eastern Shore as a whole is steadily increasing. Now is the time to drop back to the cautions of Spring and reduce opportunities for transmission.
September 18, 2020 COVID-19 update for Oxford…
The past two weeks have produced 41 new positive COVID-19 cases in Talbot County and 5 new cases in the Oxford zip code. As it appears these new cases are in the general public, it behooves everyone to continue to practice the necessary precautions in our daily lives to reduce the risks to ourselves, our family and our neighbors. Health-Officer-Update-for-Talbot-COVID-at-Stage-3-9.3.2020
September 3, 2020 COVID-19 update for Oxford…
Sadly, the 21654 zip code has shown up on the State of Maryland’s COVID mapping with 8 positive cases of COVID. Because they don’t post any cases on the State map until you have at least 8 cases for privacy reasons, you appear to have none, until you suddenly have 8 cases.This has caused some concern and questions, so a little explanation of the possibilities might be helpful.
These are not necessarily all new cases…. some, or all but 1, could have been from months ago. Additionally the 21654 zip code goes practically to Rt 50 – so could be we still have none in town. We all agree it can be frustrating because you would like to know if there is a key thing to avoid. Talbot County has confirmed the 8 cases are in the 21654 zip code, but again not necessarily all active cases, and as there were only 20 active cases when Oxford went on the map, it is likely we only have 1 or 2 new cases in the expanded Oxford area.
Although we had been running with ‘0’ new cases in Talbot County for awhile, there has been an uptick with 24 new cases in the last 7 days, so we should all remain cautious.
What does this mean for the residents of Oxford? Continue to practice the recommendations of physical distancing of 6′ or more from all but immediate family, continue the use of face coverings in all circumstances where you are within 6′ of anyone other than immediate family, and continue to practice good hygiene. When you leave your house have a face covering and hand sanitizer, and make use of both items to protect yourself and those around you.
For the latest information regarding the COVID-19 for the Town of Oxford and Talbot County: COVID-19 / Corona Virus Information
NEW! Text to 911 is now available for Emergencies Talbot County Emergency Services has just announced that in an Emergency when you cannot make an audio call, you can now Text a message to 911. (This service has been set up with the following carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.)
TALBOT GOES PURPLE
As you take down your Purple Lights please remember to return town bulbs to the town office. They can be left outside the door in the hand sanitzer bucket on week days and we will retrieve them.
It is Hurricane Season! Please visit our Emergency Prepardness page and be sure your are ready for a summer weather event, before you find yourself in the middle of one: Emergency Preparedness Please visit our Facebook page for current updates leading up to and during an actual weather event.
Face Coverings are required in Oxford, Talbot County and Maryland whenever you are within a Business or Office, whenever you are outside and cannot consistently maintain a 6′ distance from others who do not live with you.
Free COVID testing for Talbot County Residents is available through the Talbot County Health Department on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday by appointment, which can be scheduled by calling this number: 410-819-5632 – Residents who travel outside of the area should schedule a test when returning to Oxford.
WHAT IS CONTACT TRACING DATA. In addition to identifying individuals who may have been infected with COVID-19, Maryland is now using contact tracing data to find patterns of behavior, and to identify where and how the virus is spreading. The governor announced the following findings based on recent interviews conducted with COVID-19 patients:
- Higher-Risk Gatherings (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Family Gatherings – 44%
- House Parties – 23%
- Outdoor Event – 21%
- Higher-Risk Locations (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Work Outside the Home – 54%
- Indoor/Retail Shopping – 39%
- Indoor Dining at Restaurant – 23%
- Outdoor Dining at Restaurant – 23%
- Employment Information (Percentage of Interviewed Cases):
- Health care – 25%
- Other – Non-public Facing – 23%
- Other – Public Facing – 13%
- Restaurant/Food Service – 12%
Recent Information concerning ongoing efforts to build resilience for Oxford can be found here: Oxford Shoreline Improvements
Information regarding Oxford’s Economic Development efforts can be found here: Oxford Economic Development
ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
The Town of Oxford is pleased to have available this year’s annual drinking water report. This report is designed to inform you of the quality of water and services that the town delivers to you every day.
If you live in Oxford’s service area, but do not receive a water bill, please pick up a copy of this 2019 drinking water quality report at the Oxford Town Office or download here.
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Complete copies of all ordinances, meeting minutes, maps, and other town records are maintained in the Oxford Town Office. This website, and the partial records shown on this website, are provided as a convenience only. This website is not a repository of official public records of the Town of Oxford.
