Name: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore opens limited COVID vaccine appointments Monday, but sign-up website is immediately overwhelmed
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M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore opens limited COVID vaccine appointments Monday, but sign-up website is immediately overwhelmed

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A limited number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the M&amp;T Bank Stadium mass vaccination site opened Monday morning, filling within minutes as demand overwhelmed the website. Some people who attempted to book appointments were redirected off the main site to a blank page that instructed them to “check back later” because of “very high demand.” Advertisement The new, state-run mass vaccination clinic joins two others, at the Baltimore Convention Center and at Six Flags America in Prince George’s County. The two sites have been receiving . Initially, some 250 to 500 vaccination appointments will be available the first few days at the Ravens’ stadium in downtown Baltimore before it then scales up to match the output at Six Flags, with some 2,000 appointments a day, according to a state news release. The first vaccinations will take place at the stadium Thursday. Advertisement “The opening of our next state-run mass vaccination site is another milestone toward ending this pandemic,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. The appointment shortage highlights the overwhelming demand for immunizations against the coronavirus, following a surge of infections and deaths in January that’s now showing signs of subsiding. New, potentially more contagious variants of the virus , threatening to upend the progress in abating the pandemic. Asked at a Monday news conference whether any doses were being set aside for city residents at the mass vaccination sites in Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott said he would like to see at least half the doses reserved for city residents, but that request has not been honored. He also said some 20,000 seniors in the city are on a waiting list for the vaccine, without having clarity about when or where they will get immunized. Appointments opened at M&amp;T Bank Stadium one day after thousands of Marylanders followed an informally shared link to sign up for vaccine appointments there, Michael Schwartzberg, a spokesman from the University of Maryland Medical System, which is helping run the stadium site, said a nonpublic booking link was made “discoverable” and was “inadvertently” shared widely. “We understand the strong desire among many Marylanders to receive the vaccine and are taking steps to remedy the impact of the technical issue,” Schwartzberg said in a Monday statement. “UMMS will be contacting each of the Maryland-based individuals who registered for vaccination through a non-public website prior to the formal start of scheduling.” He said Marylanders 65 and over would be scheduled for appointments before March 19, while people under age 65 will be contacted regarding their eligibility. “We are making every effort to ensure that we do our part to contribute to the equitable and fair allocation of COVID-19 vaccine during this period of high demand,” Schwartzberg added. As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. You are now following this newsletter. After registration officially opened Monday, all available appointments at the stadium filled within two hours. Some people reported experiencing difficulties trying to access the appointment booking site. Schwartzberg said the website “remains stable and reported no downtime” Monday. “At no point today has the registration site for the M&amp;T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site gone down. The site is working as intended and is operational,” Schwartzberg wrote in an email. “A mechanism was put in place during periods of high activity that lets people know the site is experiencing high demand and to check back later. This mechanism is specifically intended to ensure the site stays operational during extremely high demand.” In addition to the stadium site, the University of Maryland Medical System is helping run the vaccination and testing site at the convention center. Maryland Department of Health spokesman Charles Gischlar said the convention center clinic would remain open after M&amp;T Bank scales up to 2,000 appointments a day. Baltimore Sun reporter Emily Opilo contributed to this article. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

A limited number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the M&amp;T Bank Stadium mass vaccination site opened Monday morning, filling within minutes as demand overwhelmed the website. Some people who attempted to book appointments were redirected off the main site to a blank page that instructed them to “check back later” because of “very high demand.” Advertisement The new, state-run mass vaccination clinic joins two others, at the Baltimore Convention Center and at Six Flags America in Prince George’s County. The two sites have been receiving . Initially, some 250 to 500 vaccination...

M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore opens limited COVID vaccine appointments Monday, but sign-up website is immediately overwhelmed

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