MD Governor Orders Restaurants, Bars, Gyms, Theaters To Close

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday ordered closures he described as "unprecedented" to protect the safety of people in Maryland from the spread of the new coronavirus. These drastic actions, which he admitted would be disruptive, are "absolutely necessary to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans," Hogan said.

The governor ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, movie theaters and gyms across the state, effective at 5 p.m. Monday. These businesses will then be closed until further notice to discourage the gathering of groups, in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, during the state of emergency.

Drive-thru, carryout and food delivery service can continue at restaurants. Food and beverage service providers in health care facilities may remain open, according to the executive order.

It was one of several measures Hogan announced by executive order Monday.

"While these measures may seem extreme, if we do not take them now, it could be too late," Hogan said.

Essential services such as gas stations, banks, pharmacies and grocery stores will remain open, Hogan said.

Any social, community, religious, sports gathering event with more than 50 people is prohibited, and he warned that violators will be prosecuted.

"Far too many people have continued to ignore those warnings and are crowding into bars and restaurants, willingly putting the health and safety of others in grave danger," Hogan said.

He ordered health officials to open closed hospitals across Maryland to increase the state's capacity by 6,000 beds to meet the demand.

Currently, there are 9,000 beds available for acute care, Deputy Health Secretary Fran Phillips said at a news conference Monday morning. "We are close to needing a doubling of our current capacity," she said.

Hogan said he also activated the Maryland Medical Reserve Corps, a group of 5,000 trained medical volunteers, with 700 members ready for deployment. During the state of emergency, anyone with an out-of-state license or expired Maryland medical license will be able to practice, Hogan ordered.

Over the weekend, the state activated 400 Army and Air National Guard soldiers, including two special medical support companies. On Monday, 1,000 guardsmen have been activated with 1,200 with their bags packed, he said. There are 250 state police ready to deploy as well.

Utility companies across the state have been ordered not to shut off any customers during the state of emergency, according to Hogan. Water, sewer, gas, electric, phone and internet service may not be shut off during the state emergency. The eviction of any tenant is prohibited as well.

Nine passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship will arrive back in Maryland on Monday, and those residents will be in the care of the National Guard, Hogan said.

"It is impossible to know how long this threat will continue," Hogan said. "Every single one of us needs ... to do our part to stop this deadly virus from spreading."

There are 138 centers up and operating to distribute meals to children across the state, and a federal waiver has allowed the state to grant children three meals and a snack each day, Hogan said.

"This is going to be much harder, take much longer and be much worse than almost anyone is currently understanding," Hogan said. "We have never faced anything like this before."

Hogan's order Monday came shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance that gatherings of 50 or more should be canceled or postponed and that people age 60 and over should avoid crowds altogether.

Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut jointly announced the closure of bars, sit-down restaurants, movie theaters and gyms effective 8 p.m. Monday as well.

In Maryland, 37 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus as of Monday morning, according to state health data, with six people having tested positive for the illness since Sunday morning.

"We should continue to expect the number of cases to dramatically and rapidly rise," Hogan said.

For updates on the coronavirus in Maryland, get Patch news alerts.

The measures Hogan announced Monday came days after he announced a series of orders to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in Maryland.

The governor ordered all gatherings of 250 people or more canceled Thursday after Maryland saw its first case of community transmission of the new coronavirus. Community transmission means the illness has spread without the person knowing how or where they became infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before community transmission, cases of those with the new coronavirus had been linked to travel or exposure to someone with COVID-19.

All public schools in Maryland will be closed Monday through March 27, and Hogan said Monday that the closures may last longer.

Over the weekend, Hogan ordered Maryland's five casinos and the state's racetracks to close to stem the coronavirus spread. They are to remain closed until further notice.

People can visit the Maryland Department of Health's coronavirus page or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information.

See Also:

• MD Casinos, Racetracks Ordered Closed By Gov. Hogan
• MD Coronavirus: Public Schools To Close, National Guard Activated

This is breaking news and will be updated.