100K At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Available In Anne Arundel County

Jacob Baumgart
Updated ·5 min read

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County officials announced Tuesday that they will give away 100,000 free rapid at-home coronavirus test kits in the coming days. The measure comes as the new omicron variant drives a surge in Maryland's COVID-19 metrics before Christmas and the New Year.

“With COVID cases and hospitalizations increasing and the holidays upon us, we wanted to provide residents with easy, free access to at-home rapid tests,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a press release. “I want to thank all of the partners who are helping us with distribution - getting these tests out into our communities will help us all celebrate the holidays safely.”

There is a limit of two kits per household, and each box has one test. Leaders asked residents not to call distribution centers directly, as kits cannot be reserved. The test kits will be available while supplies last at these locations:

  • Maryland Live! Casino and Hotel, 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover. Kits will be distributed from 12pm- 5pm starting Wednesday, Dec. 22 through Friday Dec. 24, while supplies last. Operations will resume on Monday, Dec. 27, with the intention of running through Thursday, Dec. 30. Residents can enter using the outside ramp to the event center located on the Hotel side of the building.

  • Westfield Annapolis, 2002 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis. Tests will be available in the management office starting Wednesday, December 22nd from 10am-4pm.

  • Arundel Mills, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover. Kits may be picked up at guest services or the mall office.

  • Maryland City Volunteer Fire Department, 3498 Fort Meade Rd, Laurel. Kits will be distributed from 10am-6pm or until supplies run out on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

  • Anne Arundel County Police Department. Kits will be distributed from 6pm-9pm on Wednesday, Dec. 22, through Thursday, Dec. 23.

    • Northern District Police Station, 939 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park

    • Southern District Police Station 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

    • Eastern District Police Station, 204 Pasadena Road, Pasadena

    • Western District Police Station, 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton

“These at home rapid tests give everyone an additional tool to protect themselves and their families,” Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said in the release. “Testing when you have symptoms, have been exposed to someone with Covid, or before you gather, decreases spread. As case rates and hospitalizations rise, testing, getting your first vaccine or a booster, and masking in public areas are crucial to keeping us safer over the next few months.”

More information on the test kits is posted at this link. Visit aahealth.org/covidvax or read Patch's booster shot guide to learn how to get an immunization in Anne Arundel County.

Omicron Variant Surges

Omicron infections in Maryland accounted for 75.8 percent of the total coronavirus cases reported for the week ending Dec. 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The delta variant accounted for 24.2 percent of cases, based on the CDC's estimate.

The CDC numbers reported Monday show how quickly omicron is spreading. Nationwide, omicron variant cases increased six-fold in only a week.

"We're pretty concerned about this omicron variant in that even though it seems to be less virulent and less dangerous, it's like four times more contagious," Gov. Larry Hogan said on FOX News Sunday morning. The following day, the governor said he tested positive for the virus.

Hogan was among thousands in the state who reported positive results in the last day. On Tuesday, the Maryland Department of Health reported its largest daily increase in new cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 6,218 people testing positive in the past 24 hours.
A surge in cases reflects how much more transmissible the omicron variant is, experts say.

Omicron is adept at causing so-called breakthrough infections among vaccinated people. Officials say immunizations, especially boosters, provide more protection against severe illness.

Rising Metrics

The state's positivity rate is up to 11.64 percent. It was as low as 2.91 percent on Nov. 4. The all-time minimum of 0.54 percent was set on June 28.

This spike prompted an increase in hospitalizations. Maryland's 1,392 patients are up from the 490 registered on Nov. 14 and the July 1 low of 97.

The state has reported 11,022 COVID-19 deaths.

Vaccine Update

Maryland has 4,231,337 fully vaccinated residents. About 96.5 percent of Maryland seniors and 91 percent of adults have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Maryland has also made some headway on the newest group eligible for the shot. About 30.29 percent of kids aged 5 to 11 have gotten their first injection since they were cleared for immunization in late October.

The state has given 1,427,762 booster shoots.

Maryland's health and vaccine metrics are updated daily at coronavirus.maryland.gov/.

Who's Eligible For Booster

Here is a chart explaining who is eligible for a booster shot and when they can take it:

Residents don't have to get their booster from the same immunization manufacturer they used for their initial inoculation(s). Marylanders are allowed to pick any additional dose they want.

The CDC recommended getting the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster, not the Johnson & Johnson. Experts urged locals to still get Johnson & Johnson's extra dose if Pfizer and Moderna are not available.

Who's Eligible For First Doses

The Pfizer immunization is the only one with full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That clearance is good for residents 16 and up. Pfizer also has emergency-use authorization for anybody aged 5 to 15 for their first two doses

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson inoculations have emergency-use authorization for locals 18 and up.

Emergency-use authorization requires less FDA review than full approval, which is the golden stamp of support from regulators.

Residents can book a vaccine by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling Maryland's multilingual call center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

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Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.

This article originally appeared on the Annapolis Patch