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As the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate climbs higher and the holiday season approaches, public health officials are pleading with Marylanders to skip large gatherings — and are throwing extra muscle behind the effort.

“The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is often a night where kids come home from college. They go out to bars to drink and socialize before then celebrating the holiday — sometimes with older family members,” Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said at a news conference Monday. “I cannot stress enough how reckless that behavior would be this year.“

Because of this Thanksgiving’s unusual circumstances, Hogan is deploying state and local police departments to ensure that reckless behavior remains in check.

In addition to the traditional ramped-up policing efforts that come with the holiday season, Hogan has launched a “wide-scale, all-hands-on-deck compliance, education and enforcement operation,” deploying extra state police officers to each of the 24 jurisdictions to respond to local complaints and quash any super-spreader events.

These extra units will be deployed to high-traffic and popular areas in each county beginning Wednesday evening.

As of Tuesday morning, Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley did not know the exact number of excess troopers to be deployed but said that some of them will be working overtime and others will be officers who are already scheduled to be at DUI checkpoints and conducting other extra enforcement duties traditionally performed around the holidays.

Units have already been scheduled to deploy in high-traffic areas in Baltimore City and Harford, Montgomery, Baltimore and Wicomico counties.

“However, in each county, troopers will be prepared to respond to calls related to COVID prevention,” Shipley said.

But it won’t be state police alone.

Calvert County Assistant Sheriff Dave McDowell said that local police agencies in his county will largely serve in supporting roles to the Maryland State Police.

“We’re not going to drive around looking for [violations], but if a deputy is somewhere and they see a large gathering, of course they’re going to inquire,” McDowell said. “We have a responsibility ― like everyone else in this community ― to do what we can to stop the spread of this virus.”

McDowell said the sheriff’s office receives occasional calls about noncompliance with the governor’s public health orders, but for the most part residents and businesses are abiding by the guidance.

Shipley said that state troopers’ first priority is voluntary compliance, stating that the objective is to contact business owners to work towards that goal.

“If further action is necessary, it will be taken in coordination with local health officials, local law enforcement and the state’s attorney in that jurisdiction,” he said.

Policing of private homes?

At his news conference this week, Hogan said that 57% of registered COVID-19 noncompliance complaints stem from restaurants, bars and retail businesses.

“Especially now, it is critically important that we stay vigilant in this fight,” he stressed. “We can’t let a few bad actors spoil it for the others who have been doing such a great job.”

As such, Shipley said that the state’s focus is not on policing homes “where a large turkey has been purchased.

“Rather, it will be on establishments that have large numbers of people gathered, which some might describe as having ‘super-spreader’ potential,” he said.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler (R) is of the same mindset.

“We’re not going to be charging people if they have 12 people over for Thanksgiving dinner,” he said. “We’re not going to be doing any policing of people’s private homes.”

In fact, Gahler said he was just talking to the state’s attorney to see if there was anything in Hogan’s crowd size order that would lead to a criminal charge if there were violations — they decided that there probably weren’t.

But Gahler said he was preparing his deputies for possible calls about crowd sizes, even neighbors calling about neighbors, since that’s what Hogan requested.

“We go to everything,” he said of calls the department responds to. “If there’s a dog with a broken toe nail, we respond. What we do when getting these calls is another matter.”

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins (R) said that his department also won’t be monitoring large gatherings in people’s homes, and encourages “people not to be concerned about what other households chose to do.”

“This whole issue of people calling in violations on each other creates a backlash of anger and potentially volatile situations between neighbors and families,” said Jenkins. “These types of actions are fueling the anger and resentment. The public has been repeatedly told what the recommendations and best practices are, and at this point to continue drilling these orders into the population may be doing more harm than good.”

Gahler said that since the pandemic, his department has arrested two people for violating travel restrictions in March, along with the person who refused to put on a mask during early voting. That’s been it so far.

But not all noncompliance calls are as nonviolent.

Hogan said at the Monday press conference that Anne Arundel County Police made arrests when several individuals who refused to wear masks assaulted two Coldstone Creamery employees in Edgewater.

“They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Hogan stated.

Education is key

“There are penalties [for breaking the compliance orders], but at this time, we’ve been advised to not put any charges against the violators,” Capt. John Bollinger, the administrative commander of Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, said, adding that county residents have been complying so far.

Talbot County officers who respond to complaints about possible violations to COVID-19 restrictions are to follow up with the local health department.

If law enforcement and rowdy business owners can’t reach voluntary compliance in Worcester County, the complaint is referred to Kristen Heiser (R), the state’s attorney.

But Worcester County Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli (R) said that voluntary compliance through education is his preferred tactic.

“We strive to help our businesses and residents understand the impact of this pandemic,” he told Maryland Matters in an email. “The guided education has worked well in our county.”

According to Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson, COVID-19 education has also been a successful plan of attack.

“Overall, almost everyone we have had contact with regarding these types of calls have been very positive and responsive with no action needed,” she said in a statement. “As in the past, each case will be handled according to what we find once we are on the scene. Our primary focus is the safety of the community.”

Jessica Milligan, the public information officer for the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, said the department has seen very few complaints and is proud of its residents for their compliance.

Lt. Michael Holmes of the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office said the county also sees a high level of voluntary compliance. The agency has received “virtually no” calls about pandemic-related violations lately, Holmes said.

Over the holiday weekend, “if a deputy sees something on patrol and feels like they need to take action, they will,” Holmes said. “…If we are contacted, we will go out and investigate and take action if necessary.”

By Hannah Gaskill. Reporters Bruce DePuyt, Danielle E. Gaines, Josh Kurtz, Bennett Leckrone and Elizabeth Shwe contributed to this report.

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) issued a series of COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday afternoon, following the state’s quick entry into the pandemic’s second surge.

“This virus has been with us for so long that too many of us have become numb to the staggering, spiking numbers that are being announced every day,” Hogan said at a Tuesday news conference. “It does not matter how well we have done for all these months. If we falter now and if we fail to take this seriously, we will look just like all those other states and this deadly virus will strengthen its grip on our state and our nation.”

Effective 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, every establishment that serves food and alcohol, including bars and restaurants, will be unable to perform indoor dining services from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Bars must continue to prohibit standing and crowding. Restaurant and bar patrons are still required to stand six feet apart, and no more than six people may be seated together at a table.

Carryout food and alcoholic beverage services are still permitted.

“This order carries the full force of the law and it will be enforced,” Hogan asserted.

Also effective Friday at 5 p.m., all retail businesses, religious institutions, bingo halls, bowling alleys, roller and ice skating rinks, fitness centers, pool halls and social clubs will only be allowed to function at 50% capacity. Masks, sanitization and distancing guidelines are to be enforced.

Additionally, sports fans will no longer be allowed to sit in the stands at racetracks or collegiate and professional stadiums.

Hogan stressed that the state’s mask mandate remains “in full force and effect” at all public indoor facilities including grocery stores, pharmacies, gyms, retail establishments, in public places of public and private businesses and on public transportation.

“This very simple step of wearing masks continues to be the single best mitigation strategy that we have to fight the virus,” he said. “This is not a political issue ― it’s not a limitation on your right to infect other people ― but it is the best way to keep you and your family members safe, to keep people out of the hospital and to save lives.”

‘We are in a war right now’

“The sad reality is that all across America, more people are getting infected with COVID-19,” said Hogan.

And Maryland is no exception.

According to the governor, the state has consistently seen over 1,000 newly confirmed cases in the last 13 days, with this past Saturday documenting the most confirmed cases ever seen in one day. Maryland’s seven-day positivity rate has shot up to 6.85% ― well over a 5% warning threshold ― and 20 of the state’s 24 jurisdictions have followed that trend.

Hospitalizations are on the rise, too.

Tuesday, the state saw 1,046 people hospitalized for the virus, 255 of which are in the ICU. That is the highest hospitalization rate since June 7.

Nearly 20 hospitals across the state have reached over 90% capacity. Hospitals in western Maryland have already reached their full capacity.

“Even with the additional 6,000 beds that we provided for in our hospital surge plan, Maryland hospitals are now reaching capacity,” the governor said. “All of this requires additional, immediate actions to prevent the over-burdening of our healthcare system and to stop more Marylanders from dying.”

To protect healthcare workers and slow the spread, the Maryland Department of Health issued an emergency order Tuesday barring hospital visitors except for the parents or guardians of minors, those in compassionate care, obstetric services and supporters of people with disabilities. The agency has also advised hospitals to avoid performing non-urgent or elective surgeries if possible.

Additionally, the Department of Health has issued an order allowing hospitals nearing or at their full capacity to transfer patients to hospitals with vacancies and appropriate resources.

Dr. Tom Scalea, physician and chief of shock trauma at the University of Maryland Medical Center, said at the Tuesday news conference that hospitals who needed to go “critical care bed shopping” generally looked inward at their own hospital systems for help, “ignoring available beds that maybe exist actually relatively close to them.”

“Now a single phone call will give them access to the appropriate level of critical care services,” he explained. “This is, of course, based on a principle that everybody’s going to cooperate [and] play ball.”

“I’m sure that will be the case.”

In an effort to protect more vulnerable populations, Hogan has restricted visitation to nursing homes. Indoor visits will now only be allowed for compassionate care patients, and all visitors must provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their visit.

“I realize this is very difficult, especially at this time of year,” Hogan explained, “but please know that by refraining from visits at this time, you are helping keep them safe and to save the lives of our most vulnerable.”

Additionally, the Department of Health will begin to require nursing home staff to be tested twice a week. Residents will be tested once a week.

Pensively, Hogan recalled a press conference early on in the pandemic when he announced the state’s first COVID-19 related death.

“I’ll never forget back on March 19, when it was my sad duty to report the very first coronavirus death in our state,” he remembered.

Now Maryland reports 4,186 deaths ― 26 of which occurred on Monday, alone.

“That’s more than one [person] dying every hour in Maryland,” said the governor, adding that more Marylanders have died of COVID-19 this year than one year’s worth of people lost to “car accidents, gun violence and the flu combined.”

Hogan addressed members of the public who may choose not to believe reports from news outlets or the Department of Health about the gravity of the pandemic.

“Regardless of all the disinformation that’s being spread all over social media, this is not the flu,” he said. “It’s not fake news. It’s not going to magically disappear just because we’re all tired of it and we want our normal lives back.”

“We are in a war right now, and the virus is winning.”

By Hannah Gaskill

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