Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced coronavirus vaccine distribution could begin as early as next week for critical health care workers, long-term care facility residents and staff and first responders.

Hogan said the state will initially receive 155,000 first doses of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine could begin distribution starting Dec. 14, while the Moderna vaccine could begin distribution a week later, according to the governor.

"The state has signed up all of the state's 227 nursing homes and 1,668 assisted living facilities for the federal distribution partnership through CVS and Walgreens," according to a statement from the governor's office.

Maryland will also roll out a campaign educating residents on the vaccine and encouraging residents to get the shots.

Hospitalizations in California have jumped 70% in the last two weeks and intensive care unit hospitalizations have increased by 68.7%, California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said.

In Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, ICU availability has fallen to 10.1% and 5.6% respectively, he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered any region with less than 15% ICU capacity to follow a three-week stay-at-home order. In those regions, restaurants, bars and personal care services are closed.

When it comes to the holidays, Ghaly said, "We ask you to cancel travel plans."

Travel is explicitly restricted in areas under regional stay-at-home orders.

North Carolina will begin a "modified stay-at-home order" on Friday requiring residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Restaurants, bars, and most retail stores and more must close by 10 p.m. and alcohol sales must end by 9 p.m., said Gov. Roy Cooper

"Our trends are alarming," Cooper tweeted.

"We already have strong safety protocols and capacity limitations in place -- including a statewide mask mandate," Cooper said. "With this additional action beginning Friday, we hope to get these numbers down."

The order lasts until Jan. 8.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' husband, Marlon Reis, was released from the hospital Tuesday after being admitted this weekend for COVID-19, the governor said.

"Marlon and I are so thankful for the doctors, nurses, and staff who took care of him," Polis tweeted.

Reis is "feeling well" and will take steroids for two more days per his doctor's recommendation, the governor's office said.

Polis, who also tested positive for COVID-19, "continues to not experience any symptoms," his office said.

ABC News' Jeff Cook contributed to this report.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged people to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously and follow public health guidelines as infections and hospitalizations soar across the country.

"I want the American people to know this virus is incredibly unforgiving, cases are going up, hospitalizations are going up, my colleagues are dog-tired and we need you to hang on just a little bit longer because we've got vaccines coming but we want as many people to be alive to get them as possible and a lot of that is going to depend on your behavior," Adams told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview Monday on "Good Morning America."

Although "more people than ever are wearing masks," Adams said he's "very" concerned by the number of people who still "don't understand how much spread is occurring by people who don't have symptoms."

About 20 million "full doses" of COVID-19 vaccines will be available by the end of the year, according to Adams, who urged every American to be immunized against the virus as soon as a vaccine is authorized and made available.

"It's a way that we can ultimately end this pandemic, but it doesn't matter if people won't get the vaccination," the surgeon general said. "We know that vaccine levels are only about 50% for adults for flu and they go down to about 40% for African-Americans."

Adams said he is working with historically black colleges and universities as well as faith communities to bolster vaccine confidence among all populations. The White House is also hosting a vaccine summit Tuesday, he said.

"One thing you can all do right now, it's national flu immunization week, get your flu shot because half a million people were hospitalized last year with the flu," Adams said. "We simply can't afford for that to happen this year with hospitals being overwhelmed."

The surgeon general said the current surge in infections across the country "is different than earlier surges," because it's not about a lack of masks or personal protective equipment, nor is it due to a lack of testing.

"It's really about health care capacity, and certain places are just being overwhelmed," he said. "So we know that we can actually help them with their health care capacity by immunizing their health care staff. We're going to leave it up to the states, but we're going to give them guidance."

Adams noted it's also important to vaccinate those who are most likely to die from COVID-19.

"We know that 40 to 50% of the deaths are occurring in people who are in longterm care facilities who are older," he said.