MD Stay-At-Home Order Lifted; Some Jurisdictions To Reopen

MARYLAND — Gov. Larry Hogan announced the lifting of the stay-at-home order effective at 5 p.m. Friday, May 15, but leaders of some jurisdictions said it's not yet time for their areas to open up. The governor said his plan allows local leaders to have flexibility.

"Maryland has achieved the 14-day trend of plateauing and declining numbers," Hogan said Wednesday at a news conference. "The number of coronavirus hospitalizations is down from two weeks ago," with intensive care unit patients plateauing for "a significant period of time" and the rate of new deaths slowing from the virus.

"We will be lifting the stay-at-home order, and we will be moving instead to a safer-at-home public health advisory," Hogan said of the decision to "cautiously and safely begin stage one of the recovery plan" Friday. The decision was made after extensive consultation with his expert coronavirus recovery team, Hogan said, based on data that showed key metrics trending down.

As the "state cautiously moves forward," Hogan said he understood that not all areas were in the same situation, noting four of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions account for more than 70 percent of the state's total cases. In Prince George's County alone, more than 10,000 people have tested positive for the virus.

"Prince George's and Montgomery counties have the highest number of cases, and they have made it clear that they are not yet ready to move into stage one," Hogan said.

In Maryland as a whole, Hogan said 34,812 people have tested positive for the virus and 1,694 Marylanders have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Combined, Montgomery and Prince George's counties account for 17,355 coronavirus cases, or 49.85 percent of those in Maryland.

Prince George's County has a "serious problem" with infection rates, Hogan said. The state was "trying to provide support" and was in constant communication with the county executive.

Behind New York, Hogan said D.C., Montgomery County and Prince George's County were among "the hot spots in the country" for coronavirus.

Stage one of his recovery plan presents a "flexible, community-based approach," Hogan said, that empowers local leaders to control the timing of the reopening in their individual jurisdictions.

Leaders Not Sure About Phase One

Leaders in Montgomery, Baltimore, Howard, Prince George's and Cecil counties as well as Baltimore City have expressed concern about reopening.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said Wednesday that his jurisdiction is not yet moving into stage one of the recovery plan.

"While Gov. Larry Hogan has announced he is lifting the stay at home order and moving into phase 1 of recovery, here in Montgomery County, the science shows we are not ready to take that step," Elrich said. "There is no value in opening prematurely if it tosses us right back into this crisis again."

As of Wednesday, state health officials said 386 people in Montgomery County have died from the virus, the most of any jurisdiction in Maryland. In Prince George's County, 370 people have died; in Baltimore County, 203; and in Baltimore City, 177 people lost their lives to COVID-19.

"We are in a densely populated environment with nearly 400 COVID-19 deaths," Elrich said. "You don’t know who is infected. And so just to open up the way we were before, until we have much better knowledge about the spread of the COVID virus and we’ve been able to identify the people who have it, would be putting everyone at risk."

Previously, Hogan said four pieces of public health infrastructure would be required to support the state as it transitions from coronavirus response to recovery: increased testing capacity, expanded hospital surge capacity, a robust contact tracing operation and ramp-up of personal protective equipment.

Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said they fell short in three of the four building blocks Hogan had outlined, with only hospital surge capacity adequate for reopening.

"For the Baltimore region to safely move into all of Phase One, we need more access to personal protective equipment, as well as increased testing capacity and more robust contact tracing. We’ve seen some progress in each of these areas, but we have to do even more," Young and Olszewski said.

Young and Olszewski said they plan to "determine our next steps in the next 24 hours," in a statement Wednesday night. "We acknowledge that this will not be welcome news to all of our residents. Individuals and businesses continue to make real sacrifices, and those sacrifices are preventing the spread of a deadly virus. However, rushing to reopen in our large, densely populated jurisdictions jeopardizes the lives of our neighbors and loved ones."

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement Wednesday night that his county does not have the key building blocks either. PPE is scarce, contact tracing positions are not filled and testing capacity is not sufficient, Ball said.

"Howard County has also not seen a decrease in cases or hospitalizations over the last 14 days, and borders six jurisdictions, a majority of which have significant case rates," Ball said. "We will continue to make decisions based on these data, and on the safety and welfare of our residents."

Prince George's County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks has not issued a formal response to Hogan's lifting of the stay-at-home order, but in a statement on Monday, she said her jurisdiction needed more testing capacity to approach reopening.

"While the rest of the state may continue to open, given the terrible impact COVID-19 is having on our county, we must take a measured and smart approach to reopening non-essential businesses and resuming gatherings with family, friends, and neighbors," Alsobrooks said in a statement.
Part of the measured approach, she said, was increasing testing.

"We are working hard to purchase more tests at the local level, and we are also partnering with Montgomery County on this front," Alsobrooks said in a statement. "We also continue to request additional tests from the state. In addition, we hope to have antibody testing capacity in the next 10-14 days."

Alsobrooks is scheduled to have a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss the situation in Prince George’s County.

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In Cecil County, where County Executive Alan J. McCarthy said 18 lives had been lost to COVID-19 as of Wednesday, the local government will create its own phased approach to reopening. McCarthy will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Friday on Facebook to outline the plan.

"Though it is my sincere expectation to return our local economy to a place where our citizens are back to work and our small businesses are once again thriving, I will not expose our citizens to unnecessary risks that endangers the overall health of our community," McCarthy said. "In the coming days you will hear more about our plan to gradually lessen the restrictions and open Cecil County in a responsible manner."

'Continue Staying Home As Much As Possible': Hogan

The governor said that his announcement Wednesday did not mean that everyone was safe.

"I want to be very clear,"Hogan said. "While lifting the stay at home order" is a "positive step forward, it does not mean that we are safe or that this crisis is over. Low risk does not mean no risk. All Marylanders, particularly those older and more vulnerable populations, are advised to continue staying home as much as possible."

Employers are encouraged to promote teleworking, and people should work at home if possible.

"People should continue wearing masks in indoor areas, stores and on public transportation," Hogan said.

"Outside activity is safer than inside activity," Hogan said.

Everywhere — inside and out — he said people should try to stay 6 feet apart and avoid close gatherings of 10 people or more. People should also keep washing their hands often and sanitizing high-touch areas.

Businesses, Car Washes, Churches And More Can Reopen

Here's what will change at 5 p.m. Friday with the lifting of the stay-at-home order, Hogan said:

• Retail stores in Maryland may reopen with up to 50 percent capacity, with social distancing plus masking. Curbside pickup and delivery will be strongly encouraged.
• Manufacturing may resume, with staggering shifts encouraged so not as many people are working at the same time.
• Barbershops and hair salons may reopen at up to 50 percent capacity by appointment only.
• Pet groomers, car washes, art galleries and some other amenities will also be able to begin reopening.
• Churches and houses of worship, which are "such an essential part of the lives of so many people," can again hold services, Hogan said, with 50 percent capacity or less. "Holding services outside is strongly encouraged," said Hogan, who encouraged protecting vulnerable populations.

The governor said businesses and organizations could take a "back to business pledge" stating that they were adhering to best practices around social distancing, available on the state's website, which they could print out and post on their storefronts.

Hogan called the coronavirus pandemic "one of the most daunting challenges that our state and our nation has ever faced."

He noted the battle would require continued vigilance.

"Unfortunately, the fight against this deadly disease is far from over," Hogan said. "But because of the incredible courage you have shown and the extraordinary sacrifices you have made, Maryland and our nation can now at least begin to slowly recover."

The actions of those in the state "prevented hundreds of thousands of Marylanders" from becoming infected and dying, he said.

"I'm anxious to move into phase two and get the rest of the businesses open," Hogan said. But he said that if people did not behave responsibly, things may backslide.

If there is no spike in hospitalizations or ICU cases or "significant unforeseen outbreaks, then we will be in position to move to stage two of our plan,"Hogan said.

"The painful truth is that this virus will continue to be with us and to be a part of our daily lives," Hogan said, "and potential outbreaks will continue to remain a deadly threat until a vaccine is widely available."

This article includes reporting from Patch editors Michael O'Connell and Alessia Grunberger.

Watch the governor's news conference:

See Also:

• What MD's Reopening Plan Means For Montgomery County
• HoCo Won't Reopen Friday Due To High Case Numbers, Low PPE Supply
• Local Leaders 'Don’t Feel Comfortable’ Reopening: Baltimore Mayor
• Harford County Executive To Follow Governor's Lead In Reopening
• Positive Coronavirus Cases In PG County Exceed 10,000
• Maryland Schools To Close For Rest Of Spring
• Hogan Administration Sued Over Stay-At-Home Order: MD Coronavirus