Novavax Inc. is out with new data that makes a case for its Omicron variant-tailored Covid-19 vaccine candidate — and less so for another shot it’s also been testing to attack two strains simultaneously. The Gaithersburg biotech had conducted a phase 3 trial of two experimental Covid vaccines — one designed to protect against just the Omicron variant known as BA.1 and another bivalent shot to protect against both the original and Omicron strains — and compared their results with that of the company’s existing Covid-19 vaccine now on the market. That test showed that the BA.1 variant vaccine provoked a stronger immune response in people not previously exposed to Covid, compared with people who received Novavax’s existing vaccine, which was developed based on the original version of the virus and is now available in the U.S. for primary, secondary and booster doses.
Novavax says its Omicron-specific vaccine candidate works as a booster
Incumbent Trone trails Parrott in tight race for Western Maryland Congressional seat
Rep. David Trone was locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Del. Neil Parrott Tuesday night, in a battle for Western Maryland’s congressional seat where new political lines have boosted GOP fortunes and created the state’s most competitive district. Parrott, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2011, was carrying 51.07% of the vote in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District after midnight, all Election Day precincts reporting but thousands of mail-in ballots uncounted. Trone, the Democratic incumbent and wealthy owner of a liquor store empire, trailed by about 4,500 votes.
Frontier Airlines to offer nonstop service from Dallas to BWI
Low-cost air carrier Frontier Airlines announced Tuesday introductory fares for new nonstop routes from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and four other destinations. Joining Frontier’s lineup of new nonstop routes include flights to Orange County, California (SNA), New York City (LGA), Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU) and Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ). With the new service, Frontier will serve a total of 19 destinations from DFW.
Montgomery Co. monitoring wastewater for COVID-19
In Maryland’s Montgomery County, wastewater is now being monitored to detect COVID-19, with the aim of getting ahead of any winter surges. “Wastewater surveillance will be a game changer for our efforts to better predict outbreaks and prevent them from happening,” said County Executive Marc Elrich, in a news release. “With winter around the corner, we want to be prepared if there is another surge in COVID-19 cases and this surveillance system helps us do that.” The county first announced plans for the surveillance in March. The county is collecting water samples twice a week at five sites and sending them to the University of Maryland for analysis. The data then goes to the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Ivan Bates is elected as the next Baltimore state’s attorney
Ivan Bates took his 6-year-old daughter, London, with him as he voted at his polling place at Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School in Locust Point. Bates said he walked her into the building and explained the process of voting. When she saw the ballot with her father’s name on it, she exclaimed, “Daddy, that’s you! Daddy, that’s you!” They then held a pen together and filled out the bubble. “To be able to share that with my daughter,” he said, “was very special.” On Tuesday, Bates, 54, of Locust Point, was elected as the next Baltimore state’s attorney. He unseated the two-term incumbent, Marilyn Mosby, in the Democratic primary and did not face a challenger in the general election.
Maryland Film Festival cancels next year’s event
Citing the “lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving filmgoing habits,” the Maryland Film Festival has canceled next year’s signature event, which showcases films from around the state and beyond, to focus on celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. The festival announced this week that its board of directors had voted to postpone the annual event, which takes place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway theater in Station North. This year’s festival took place from April 27 to May 1. A letter from the film festival said the organization wanted to ensure it had “the time and resources to mark this milestone” of its upcoming anniversary.
What happened Tuesday in the Maryland General Assembly races to watch
Tuesday’s election was a test of Maryland’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly. Democrats currently hold 99 seats in the House of Delegates and 32 seats in the state Senate — large enough majorities in both houses to overturn a veto. Here’s a roundup of some of the most interesting General Assembly results from Tuesday. Vote counts represent preliminary election results with some precincts still counting Election Day and mail-in ballots. State Senate District 9, representing Howard and Montgomery counties: Democratic incumbent Sen. Katie Fry Hester appears to be holding onto her seat in the closely watched race for District 9. Hester had narrowly defeated Republican Sen. Gail Bates in 2018, flipping the district — which had represented Howard and Carroll counties at the time — from red to blue.
Maryland voters approve legalizing recreational cannabis
Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday to legalize adult-use cannabis. The vote on the issue was called by the Associated Press at about 9:33 p.m. when unofficial election results showed nearly two-thirds of voters opting for legalization. Maryland joins Washington, D.C., and 19 other states that have legalized adult-use cannabis. Voters four other states also were voting Tuesday on recreational marijuana. Even though Maryland voters chose to legalize recreational cannabis, it doesn’t mean that any adult aged 21 and older will be able to walk into the nearest dispensary and legally buy cannabis. Tuesday’s vote essentially gives Maryland lawmakers the green light to go ahead and set up a recreational industry that could start as soon as July 1.
Democrat Wes Moore declares victory, will become Maryland’s first Black governor
Wes Moore, whose vibrant and organized campaign catapulted him from outsider candidate to a rising star in Democratic politics, will be Maryland’s next governor, the first Black person to lead the state and only the third Black elected governor in U.S. history, based on The Associated Press call of Tuesday’s race. Moore declared victory over Republican Del. Dan Cox, and was congratulated by incumbent GOP Gov. Larry Hogan in a phone call. “What an amazing night and what an improbable journey,” Moore told a raucous crowd of his supporters gathered at the Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore at 10 p.m. “It’s because you believed that I stand here humbled and grateful to become the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland.”
Baltimore City among Maryland districts rolling out clean school buses
Baltimore City Public Schools was the only Maryland school district to receive funding from a recent round of awards for new clean school buses. The district was awarded $9.4 million for an estimated 25 buses, which tied for the largest award in the country in numbers of buses. Meanwhile, the Montgomery County School District added 61 new electric buses to its fleet late last month, part of a planned 326 buses to be added by 2024. While Montgomery County now has the largest operating electric fleet in the nation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Oct. 26 that 391 school districts across the U.S will soon receive nearly $1 billion combined for new clean school buses.