Garrett County Dismissed from Federal Vaccine Rollout Filing

The Arc of Maryland, a Maryland non-profit organization supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, filed a federal lawsuit that named the Garrett County and five other political subdivisions as defendants claiming people with disabilities were prevented from accessing information about COVID-19 vaccine in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

In January of this year, as vaccine was first being made available, the Garrett County Health Department aggressively worked to protect this specific population and worked with partners in the community to ensure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities were vaccinated. Since March of last year, 2020, the Garrett County Health Department, Garrett County Government, and local emergency response organizations have been working directly with the Maryland Department of Social Services and Appalachian Crossroads to accommodate vulnerable populations.

Upon notification of the suit, the plaintiff was informed of the substantive efforts by the County and the Health Department on these issues. As a result, The Arc Maryland voluntarily dismissed its complaint.

COVID-19 information for Garrett County is available at garretthealth.org. Anyone with medical questions about the virus may call the Health Department COVID-19 Hotline at 301-334-7698.