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May 12, 2025

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News Maryland News

Md. Health Secretary Slammed Over Mishandled Vaccines, Lack of Universal Masking

January 6, 2022 by Maryland Matters

Senators grilled Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader Wednesday afternoon about his agency’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic following a recent report that hundreds of Marylanders were vaccinated with mishandled doses.

The Baltimore Sun reported last week that TrueCare24 — a state-contracted company — mismanaged vaccination records and may have compromised doses by storing them improperly.

“My concern is that this is not just a problem with TrueCare — [but] that there may be more systemic problems in place here with other vendors that are administering the vaccine as well,” said Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard) at a briefing of the Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup.

According to a subsequent report from the Sun, 28% of the people vaccinated by TrueCare24 are incarcerated.

“I’m very concerned about the spoiled vaccines and that they were administered primarily to exactly the communities who are in most need and have been most apprehensive and cynical about the vaccine,” said Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City).

According to Schrader, the Department of Health gave the company notice to address its problems, but no action was taken. The agency became aware of the inappropriate storage of vaccines and opened an investigation on Sept. 2, stopped assigning vaccine clinics to TrueCare24 on Sept. 8 and referred the matter to the agency’s audit team on Sept. 24.

The Department of Health contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance on Nov. 10 and was told to contact the 926 people who received the compromised doses. Schrader said his agency began sending emails out on Dec. 30. Those who did not submit their email address will receive letters in the mail.

Schrader said that the department plans to finish the notification process by next week.

“​​To be sure, I am not happy about how long it’s taken to obtain the clinical next steps,” he told the senators.

The matter is still under review. Schrader said he expects an audit report on his desk by the end of January.

Everyone who received a vaccine from TrueCare24 will be offered an appointment to be re-vaccinated, he said.

When pressed about his dissatisfaction with how the situation has been handled, Schrader responded that “the buck stops” with him.

Washington agreed.

“We’re having this pattern of something happening that is being, by someone, swept under the rug or not dealt with in a straightforward manner, then the press or we have to uncover it and then that wastes a lot of time and, frankly, it’s costing lives,” she said.

Lam said he’s worried that the issues seen with TrueCare24 are just the “tip of the iceberg,” and that this may be the symptom of a more systemic problem within the Hogan administration.

He also raised a red flag about the whistleblower’s demotion within the department, noting that this has happened in other instances where the agency has flubbed its response to the pandemic.

“Whether it’s the clunky South Korean [COVID] tests, the PPE that were ordered from politically connected companies with no prior history to deliver or the firing of health officers trying to protect their counties, or even the demotion of an internal whistleblower — your decisions as the secretary seem to follow a pattern of behavior that consistently deflects blame oR fires the messenger,” Lam said.

Schrader told Lam that his information was “partially correct but there’s a lot more to the story” and offered to discuss it with the senator offline.

A frequent critic of the Health secretary, Lam, a public health physician, also went after him for his stance against a universal masking mandate, noting that he was quoted in a Washington Post report as saying it was “not on the table.”

“My question to you, Mr. Secretary, is how many more Marylanders must become hospitalized or die before we’ll reinstate a full mask mandate here in the state?” Lam asked.

On Wednesday, 3,118 Marylanders were being hospitalized for COVID-19 — the highest number the state has seen since the pandemic began. Nearly 50 people died between Tuesday and Wednesday.

State health officials have projected that Maryland could reach up to 5,000 hospitalizations in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) proclaimed a 30-day state of emergency, noting that the next four to six weeks are projected to be “the most challenging time of the entire pandemic.”

Hogan issued a masking mandate for all state-run facilities on Monday but declined to issue a universal mandate.

Schrader responded that the Department of Health is looking to impose a cultural shift, which he believes is better achieved with persuasion than force.

“Mr. Secretary, with all due respect, I think you know we’re in the middle of a pandemic, our hospitals are being flooded out right now and I don’t think we have the time to wait on changing culture,” Lam replied.

By Hannah Gaskill

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: Clarence Lam, coronavirus, Covid-19, Dennis Schrader, larry hogan, Mary Washington, Maryland, Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup, TrueCare24, vaccines

Md. Senate President Emeritus Resigns After 50 Years in Office, 33 as Chamber’s Leader

December 24, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Citing the increasing toll that metastatic prostate cancer has had on his body, Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from the legislature, effective immediately.

In a letter to his successor, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), Miller said “my heart and my mind remain strong, but my body has grown too weak to meet the demands of another legislative session.”

Miller recently told a reporter that he has gone “from a cane to a walker to a wheelchair.”

Speaking to reporters on a midday Zoom call, Miller said, “I thought I could continue on. … But the cancer is in all my bones.”

“My body is wracked with pain,” he added. “Physically I’m not able to do the job.”

The legislature is due to begin its 2021 session in three weeks.

“I Bid an Affectionate Farewell to You All”

A student of history who made history, and a voracious reader (the walls of his study are lined with the hundreds of books he has devoured over time), Miller said he steps down “with tremendous sadness.”

Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) tells a story to his colleagues on the first day of the 2020 legislative session. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters

“During my tenure in the Senate of Maryland and my time serving as President, it was the great honor of my life in large part because I have seen the Senate rise above partisan and other differences time and time again,” he wrote. “I have seen the Senate come together and unite to get the work of the people of Maryland done.”

The 78-year-old lawyer and lawmaker said he has seen many changes in Annapolis during his years in the State House. There is, he said, a “different breed of elected officials” that bring “new ideas.”

“Now, instead of people staying late at night in the bars or whatever, they’re drinking their water because they have to jog the next morning. It’s a younger group, with some very progressive ideas. It’s a good time for me to step down, quite frankly.”

Miller’s resignation brings to a close a 50-year tenure representing Southern Maryland and Prince George’s County in the state legislature — a single term in the House of Delegates, then 12 terms in the state Senate — highlighted by the 33 years he served as Senate president.

He remained a member of the chamber in 2020, representing the 27th legislative district and serving on several influential panels, including the Budget and Taxation Committee and the Legislative Policy Committee.

Although he relinquished the gavel in 2019, Miller retained the president’s spacious corner office in the Miller Senate Office Building, and he continued to have executive protection. A large portrait of him was hung on the walls of the historic Senate Chamber during last year’s session, just a few feet from his desk in the fourth row.

He told Maryland Matters in an interview earlier this month that he and his staff were staying abreast of constituent matters, and he pledged to participate in the 2021 session as his health allowed.

Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). Photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters

During a freewheeling discussion, Miller offered analysis of state and national politics, in his usual insightful, blunt and colorful fashion.

Those who have observed and worked with Miller routinely say his mark on Maryland will never be matched.

“I have known Mike since I was a kid,” said Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), “and it has been one of my greatest privileges as governor to serve alongside him.”

“He will go down in our state’s history as a lion of the Senate.”

Said former Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D) in an interview: “Mike Miller has been there at the center of all of the great debates and all of the big challenges. He can rightly claim to have been a part of every positive thing that the people of our state accomplished for themselves and their grandkids over the last 40 years.”

Although he and Miller had an uneven relationship, marked by periods of both conflict and cooperation, former Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D) also praised his fellow Prince Georgian.

“It’s a sad day,” said Glendening. “Whether you loved the guy or hated the guy, this is a sad day. He just contributed so much. At least he’s doing it his own way, which is good.”

Many of Miller’s colleagues in the Senate have moved up the political ladder, in part due to the lessons they learned in the chamber and the campaign support he facilitated.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) said Miller’s retirement “marks the end of an era.”

“Governors have come and gone, but Senator Miller, with unmatched political acumen, has steered Maryland on a progressive course and toward a more perfect union,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “…He is a dear friend and his mentorship and wisdom remain invaluable to me.”

Former Senate Minority Whip Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) described Miller as a friend and mentor.

“I felt he was very fair to the Republican Caucus,” Hershey said in an email to Maryland Matters. “He deeply respected bi-partisan process and appreciated the perspective we brought to the entire body of the Senate.”

Hershey said he would talk with Miller frequently about issues important to his district.

“I’d go to him on several issues, mostly those that affected the watermen or farmers and asked for his help. Most times he was non-committal but he would always say, ‘just do the best you can.’ And you know what, sometimes things worked out the way I wanted, and I knew it was because he found a way to help me out.”

Asked about the upcoming session, Miller urged his former colleagues to fund the Kirwan Commission’s educational reforms.

“I believe very strongly in education,” he said. “Everybody should have an equal opportunity for education. And we can make that happen if we find a way to pass the Kirwan proposal and fund it.”

In his letter to Ferguson, Miller expressed regret that national political leaders appear to have lost the ability to compromise or disagree without rancor.

Miller’s resignation came 237 years to the day that George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the Maryland State House. Coincidentally or not, Miller quoted Washington’s address to the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Annapolis:

“Having now finished the work assigned to me, I retire from the great theatre of Action, and bidding an affectionate farewell to this August body, under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.”

Miller closed his letter with a prayer for the state:

“I must now retire from august body of the Senate of Maryland and take my leave of public life. I bid an affectionate farewell to you all and it is my greatest hope that our Almighty God bless and protect you, your families, our Nation, and our State. I pray that future generations in the Maryland General Assembly will continue to come together in the spirit of public service and unity to once again get to work on behalf of the citizens of the great State of Maryland.”

201223-Miller-Letter-to-President-Ferguson

 

By Bruce DePuyt and Danielle E. Gaines

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: chris van hollen, larry hogan, martin o'malley, Maryland, mike miller, president emeritus, senate, steve hershey, thomas v. mike miller jr.

99 Questions for Rep. Andy Harris

July 27, 2020 by Maryland Matters

The United States is in turmoil.

The nation is experiencing a massive spike in COVID-19 cases at a time when other nations are getting their outbreaks under control.

Unidentified federal forces used violence against peaceful protests near the White House last month to facilitate a presidential photo-op, while armed federal police are conducting operations on the streets of Portland, Ore., and other U.S. cities against the wishes of state and local officials.

Calls to reform policing have gone mainstream in the wake of the deaths of unarmed Black Americans.

The nation is in a trade war with China and the budget deficit has never been higher.

The COVID-19 crisis produced an unemployment spike not seen since the Great Depression and there are fears of an eviction crisis that could leave countless families homeless.

President Trump has stoked white nationalist sentiment, strained relations with U.S. allies and uttered more than 20,000 false or misleading statements, according to a Washington Post analysis.

The president refuses to say if he will accept the results of the November election.

In short, the country is divided, angry and on edge.

Although Trump’s approval numbers are the lowest of his presidency, and Republican strategists and donors worry that a landslide victory for former vice president Joe Biden in the White House election could cost the GOP the U.S. Senate, the president has at least one loyal friend among Maryland officials.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris, the only GOP member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, has stood by the president every step of the way.

He stands in contrast to Maryland’s most prominent Republican, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr., who has been unafraid to criticize Trump and has upped his criticisms as the COVID-19 crisis drags on.

We wanted to ask Harris, one of a small number of physicians in Congress, about the state of the nation, but he declined repeated requests for an interview.

We’ve decided to list those questions here. Maybe the congressman will choose to answer some of them after we’ve published. But even if he doesn’t, they serve as a kind of time capsule of where this country is right now – and vital issues our leaders ought to be addressing.

  • Are you at all concerned about the use of unidentified federal police to make arrests in cities like Portland? Have you relayed your concerns to anyone in the government?
  • On Monday, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf defended these tactics, telling Fox, “I don’t need invitations by the state, state mayors or state governors to do our job. We’re going to do that whether they like us there or not.” Do you support the administration on this?
  • Would you like to see federal personnel on the streets of Baltimore City? Why or why not?
  • On June 1, federal authorities mowed down peaceful protesters near the White House 30 minutes before that night’s curfew went into effect. Shortly after the violence, President Trump strode across the street and held a bible aloft. Do you have any concerns about this incident?
  • Do you know who the police agencies were or who gave the order to trample the protesters?
  • Do you think police officers and vehicles should have some kind of identification, so individuals and units can be held accountable for their actions?
  • The day after the violence in Lafayette Park, your Maryland colleague, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D), a constitutional scholar, said: “During this period we are seeing law enforcement officers who are working with great integrity and courage. … We are also seeing law enforcement officers who are disgracing themselves. Ultimately the truth will be known and the vast majority of the American people stand against these police-state tactics. This is not America. This is not our Constitution. This is an affront to everything that we believe in.” Any reaction?
  • The president did not speak that night in Lafayette Square. He just held the bible aloft in front of a church he does not attend. You’re a religious man – what message do you think he was he sending?
  • Gov. Hogan wrote that President Trump “bungled” the federal response to the coronavirus epidemic. CNBC’s Jim Cramer called it a “disaster” — one of the worst self-inflicted injuries in modern times. These criticisms are hardly those of partisan Democrats. What do you make of their critiques?
  • For the first five months of the crisis, President Trump only wore a mask one time, on a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Given how important masks are, has he fumbled the opportunity to demonstrate leadership, slow the virus and save lives?
  • Do you agree with the decision early in the Trump administration to disband the White House unit on infectious diseases?
  • Gov. Hogan said it was a huge mistake for the president to sideline Dr. Anthony Fauci. Is he right?
  • Maryland is in a much better place than states like Texas, California and Arizona when it comes to confirmed COVID-19 cases. Why do you think so many states are seeing their infections spike?
  • You are a physician, but you were the only member of the state’s congressional delegation not to sign a letter, on July 17, asking the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the Public Health Emergency (which he did on Friday). Why not?
  • Do you think the public health emergency has passed?
  • Many other advanced nations have gotten their COVID-19 crisis under control. Why do you think the U.S. is such an outlier?
  • You were the featured speaker at a Reopen Maryland event in early May. Given the outbreaks we are seeing in much of the country, do you think now that Gov. Hogan was right to adopt a cautious reopening plan?
  • Are Maryland’s largest jurisdictions right to take an even slower approach to reopening than Gov. Hogan has recommended?
  • Are you comfortable with local governments setting their own approach on reopening?
  • Our grandparents fought and died in World War II; millions who didn’t serve in uniform made daily sacrifices for the common good. Have we lost our ability to pull together as a nation?
  • On July 9, President Trump said concern about on-site school instruction is “political nonsense. And it’s only political nonsense; it’s politics. They don’t want to open because they think it will help them on Nov. 3.” Do you agree with the president?
  • Before President Trump last week canceled the portion of the Republican National Convention that was supposed to have taken place in Jacksonville, Fla. Had you been planning to attend?
  • If you were planning to attend, would you have worn a mask when you were indoors?
  • The Lincoln Project put together a video that juxtaposes Vice President Mike Pence’s optimistic statements about the virus against a graphic showing this summer’s spike in infections. Given his track record, is the vice president credible when he makes statements on COVID-19?
  • Was President Trump wise to host a rally in Tulsa, Okla., without social distancing?
  • Oklahoma is one of the reddest states in the country. If he is rallying support there, does that suggest his campaign in trouble?
  • Have you seen the video of campaign aides removing social distancing signs prior to the Tulsa rally, so the president wouldn’t become angry? If so, given your medical training, what’s your reaction?
  • The president has written that “the reason we show so many [COVID] cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED!” Do you agree with the president’s argument?
  • Would it be better if the U.S. did no testing, so we would have zero reported cases?
  • On Tuesday, the president told reporters that his administration is “in the process of developing a strategy” to combat the pandemic. Why do you think he waited until July 21 to begin this work?
  • Did people die as a result of his delay?
  • The governor of Georgia has gone to court to ban local governments from implementing mask laws. Do you believe this is sound policy?
  • Do you support White House efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in the middle of the pandemic?
  • The Affordable Care Act has resulted in the first drop in the number of Americans without insurance ever. What would you put in its place?
  • Has President Trump done enough to show sympathy for the loss of life as a result of the pandemic?
  • Has the president done enough to thank the health care professionals who have been laboring through this crisis?
  • President Trump is pressing schools to open this fall. On July 17, his spokeswoman said, “When he says open, he means open and full, kids being able to attend each and every day at their school. The science should not stand in the way of this.” Is it clear to you what she meant by this?
  • Do you think schools should hold in-person classes this fall?
  • The president uses the term China Virus – and you have referred to it as the Wuhan Virus. There are numerous reports of Asian-Americans being verbally attacked by fellow Americans who apparently blame them for COVID-19. What is your reaction?
  • After the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, President Trump said there were “good people on both sides.” Do you agree?
  • To many Americans, the president’s “good people on both sides” comment betrayed his responsibility to stand against hate. What do you say to them?
  • Do you believe climate change is real?
  • Do you believe that the causes of climate change are mostly man-made?
  • A new study shows that sunny-day flooding is increasing dramatically, with the potential for major impacts along the Eastern Shore and countless other communities in the not-too-distant future. Why is this happening?
  • Under what conditions would you support wind turbines off the Maryland coast?
  • The federal Bureau of Land Management sold leases on 139,079 acres in Utah to oil and gas companies, over the objections of environmentalists. Should historic land be sold off for energy production?
  • Why did you support the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Paris international climate agreement?
  • You spoke out against the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. What should the U.S. do to limit carbon emissions from U.S. power plants?
  • After Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year, President Trump publicly mocked the 16-year-old teen climate crisis activist, saying she has “anger management” issues. Was this appropriate?
  • The president has repeatedly said that if America shifts to vote by mail, Republicans will be hurt. Do you agree, and if so, why?
  • Cynics have said that on this topic, the president “said the quiet part out loud.” Do you share their concern?
  • The president has said there is rampant fraud in mail-in voting. Do you agree, and what evidence can you cite?
  • If a convicted felon has served his or her time, should their right to vote be restored automatically — or should they be forced to take additional steps?
  • You were the only member of Congress from Maryland not to issue a statement when Rep. John Lewis died on July 18. He was a colleague of yours — and a hero to many. Why were you silent?
  • In the wake of the death of George Floyd and others, do you believe that police should undergo retraining?
  • Do you believe we have a systemic crisis in law enforcement?
  • Gov. Hogan said it was “disgraceful” and “extremely damaging” of the president to say that “more whites” than Blacks have been killed by law enforcement officers. What’s your view?
  • Should police chokeholds be banned?
  • The president once told a group of police officers “please don’t be too nice” when making arrests. Are you in agreement with that view?
  • Why did you vote against the resolution this week to remove the statue of Roger B. Taney and others associated with the Confederacy or white supremacy from the U.S. Capitol?
  • Gov. Hogan has said that — no matter who wins in November — the Republican Party needs to conduct a re-evaluation of its voter-outreach efforts. Do you have any concern that the party’s base is shrinking?
  • Would you like to see someone in the Trump mold — perhaps one of his children — offer themselves up as a potential future leader of the party?
  • Secretary of State — and potential 2024 White House hopeful — Mike Pompeo flew to Iowa for a series of events at taxpayers’ expense. Do you think this was appropriate?
  • The president’s tax cuts caused the deficit to spike. Was this a surprise to you?
  • Republicans controlled all three branches of government for the first two years of President Trump’s term. Should the party have done more to rein in spending?
  • What are the consequences to the country of running up huge deficits?
  • The president pledged to hire “only the best people,” but his administration has seen far more turnover than any recent administration. Can you explain this?
  • Why are some of the president’s most prominent appointees now among his harshest critics?
  • President Trump pledged to build 500 miles of new wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has built only 200, almost all of it replacement for existing segments.The Washington Post recently called it a “troubled vanity project.” Does it surprise you that a man who made his fortune as a developer is struggling to fulfill this promise?
  • Smugglers have sawed through and climbed over parts of the new barrier. It is also said to be eroding. Would you support an investigation into why the wall isn’t more effective?
  • The Washington Post recently wrote: “It’s hard to say which looks worse for the president — the massive waste of money that has been diverted from Pentagon construction projects to build his porous wall, or the corruption that has marked the process.” Which do you think is worse.
  • Recently Mr. Trump has criticized the group of his supporters who privately financed the wall, saying it was “only done to make me look bad.” Any idea what he meant by that?
  • Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2012, said withdrawing 10,000 U.S. troops from Germany would be a “very bad idea” and a “slap in the face” to a key ally. He said it is a “heck of a time to give a free gift to Russia.” Is he right?
  • President Trump has consistently lavished praised on “strongmen” — leaders with bad human rights records — while creating rifts with our closest allies. Any thoughts on this?
  • What do you think of reports that Russia put a bounty on the heads of U.S. servicemen, payable to the Taliban?
  • The president used the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office to hawk Goya products after the CEO of that company endorsed him. Federal officials are not supposed to do this. Was the president wrong to post that photo
  • According to The Washington Post, the president has made 20,055 false or misleading statements in 1,267 days in office. Do you think it’s important for the president — any president — to tell the truth?
  • Mr. Trump withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine unless that country’s president began a probe of Hunter Biden. Is this how our system is supposed to function?
  • Should the presidential debate commission require candidates to release their tax returns and health records as a condition for participating in debates?
  • The president has gone to great lengths to shield his tax returns from public view. Why do you think that is?
  • Do you have any fear that the president has taken actions contrary to this country’s interests due to foreign entanglements or embarrassments from his past?
  • The president said the federal government spied on his campaign in 2016, calling it “a very grave crime. It’s the biggest political crime in the history of our country.” Have you seen any evidence to support Trump’s claim?
  • The Justice Department has had more than three years to look into this charge. Are you disappointed they DOJ officials have yet to bring charges?
  • The president has repeatedly said his hotels bill the government $50 per night per room.The Washington Post has done extensive reporting and can’t find a single bill for $50. Reporters have found many rooms that have cost hundreds of dollars per night. Do you think the president is misinformed or choosing not to be honest?
  • Do taxpayers deserve a refund from the Trump Organization?
  • Should the president have instructed the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom to try to get the British Open held at his golf course in Scotland?
  • Your colleague, Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), received major criticism last week for referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) a “f—ing b—-” in the presence of a colleague. What was your reaction to that news?
  • Are things more tense than usual on Capitol Hill these days?
  • What do you think of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who has been criticized by some of your colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus even though she votes with President Trump 96% of the time?
  • Would you like to see the Supreme Court invalidate same-sex unions?
  • Do you think the nation is weakened when a presidential candidate who gets fewer votes than his or her opponent wins?
  • Would you favor national redistricting reform?
  • Did you support the president’s decision to grant clemency to Roger Stone?
  • Are you worried about escalating diplomatic and trade tensions with China?
  • Sean Hannity asked the president what his goals were for the next four years. He didn’t seem to have any. Did that surprise you?
  • Would you encourage Gov. Hogan to run for president in 2024?
  • Steve Schmidt, who ran John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008, recently said, “When you listen to the President, these are the musings of an imbecile. An idiot. And I don’t use those words to name call. I use them because they are the precise words of the English language to describe his behavior. His comportment. His actions. We’ve never seen a level of incompetence, a level of ineptitude so staggering on a daily basis by anybody in the history of the country whose ever been charged with substantial responsibilities. It’s just astonishing that this man is president of the United States.” As a physician, do you worry about the president’s mental state?
  • Has the president said or done anything of substance with which you disagree?
  • Columnist George F. Will, a close friend and supporter of President Reagan, laments that, “In 2016, the Republican Party gave its principal nomination to a vulgarian and then toiled to elect him. And [stocked] Congress with invertebrates whose unswerving abjectness has enabled his institutional vandalism, who have voiced no serious objections to his Niagara of lies…” Mr. Will didn’t name you specifically, but… any regrets that you haven’t shown more willingness to call out the president for anything?What do you think a second Trump term would mean for the country?

By Bruce DePuyt and Josh Kurtz

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: andy harris, coronavirus, Covid-19, donald trump, larry hogan, police reform

Maryland’s New COVID-19 Focus? Outbreaks at Nursing Homes, Poultry Plants

April 30, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Patients at Maryland nursing homes account for almost half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths since March, and about a fifth of the state’s more than 20,000 active cases ― and those numbers are likely to increase with an executive order mandating universal testing.

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) issued the executive order on Wednesday, which will require universal testing of all staff and residents at nursing homes throughout the state.

As of Wednesday morning, the state reported 471 deaths from the novel coronavirus connected to nursing homes, as well as 4,369 confirmed cases of the virus.

Statewide, there were at least 20,849 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning, and 985 Marylanders have died from the virus since mid-March.

Hogan said the state will begin deploying a portion of the testing kits recently bought from South Korea to hotspots throughout the state, including nursing homes and the Eastern Shore, which is home to one of the country’s fastest-growing COVID-19 infection rates because of outbreaks among poultry workers at plants in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

As of Wednesday, there were 262 confirmed cases of COVID-19 associated with poultry workers in Maryland, which is one reason the infection rate in Wicomico County is now the fifth-highest in the state.

On Wednesday, Hogan and 17 other governors from states with meat and poultry processing plants had a call with the White House, to discuss outbreaks and protection of the nation’s food supply.

“These outbreaks are not only a serious public health concern, they’re also a potential threat to Maryland’s leading agricultural industry and to our nation’s essential food supply chain,” Hogan said.

The state is opening a new drive-through testing site this week at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury to test workers at the Perdue plant in Salisbury and the Amick processing plant in Hurlock.

The state has sent epidemiologists to the Shore to help with testing and contact tracing, and a Maryland Incident Management Team is coordinating response efforts with a team from the Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The state is also creating teams to respond to COVID-19 cases at nursing homes.

With the start of universal testing, any nursing home workers who test positive will be sent immediately to isolation. Nursing home residents will be evaluated for symptoms of the virus daily.

Each nursing home in the state will be required to create a staffing plan and the state has coordinated more than 260 nurses and aides to be part of “bridge teams” that would go into understaffed nursing homes to continue care in the event of an outbreak.

At a briefing of the Joint COVID-19 Response Legislative Workgroup on Wednesday morning, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) expressed concern about the substantial number of confirmed cases being reported in nursing homes.

“This is rapidly evolving,” he said. “I hope that we are learning the right lessons with nursing homes because it’s probably the tip of the iceberg of … isolated communities that are in close proximity that when things spark, it can get out of control really quickly.”

Testing at nursing homes will be prioritized based on an imminent outbreak or a current rising threat, Hogan said.

State officials did not immediately know how many tests will be required for the Eastern Shore and nursing home hot spots.

Hogan said the state will maintain access to the testing kits from South Korea, which can process up to 500,000 tests. Other areas where testing kits will likely be deployed include Prince George’s County, which is home to the highest number of confirmed cases in Maryland (at least 5,738), and for increased testing of health care workers throughout the state.

Hogan said targeting and isolating outbreaks could help Maryland move further into a phase of economic recovery.

“We are no longer just playing defense — we are going on offense against this virus, attacking from every angle with everything we’ve got,” he said.

Hogan said he plans another public briefing on reopening plans next week.

By Danielle E. Gaines and Hannah Gaskill

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: coronavirus, Covid-19, Health, larry hogan, nursing homes

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