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May 21, 2025

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News COVID-19 News Maryland News

Hogan Lifts Order Requiring Masks Outside; Limits on Outdoor Dining to End

April 29, 2021 by Maryland Matters

Citing progress in the state’s vaccination campaign and a new set of federal guidelines, Marylanders will no longer be required to wear masks outdoors, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced on Wednesday.

Restrictions on outdoor dining and bar service are also being lifted.

Hogan said he made the decision to lift the outdoor mask order, which he imposed last spring, after weighing COVID-19 guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.

He also consulted with state and federal health experts, “all of whom agree that the risk of transmission outdoors is very low, especially for those who’ve been vaccinated.”

The governor said the state’s vaccine supply is now “even” with demand, meaning that everyone who wants a shot can get one.

“We have plenty,” he told reporters at a news conference outside Government House.

Residents who are “on the fence” should heed the advice of public health professionals, who have consistently called the vaccines safe and effective, the governor said.

“If you’re an individual who does not intend to get vaccinated, we want to make sure that you understand that you are still in danger of hospitalization and death,” Hogan said. “Unvaccinated people — including younger people — are continuing to be hospitalized.”

The lifting of Maryland’s outdoor mask mandate took effect immediately.

Restrictions on outdoor dining and bar service end on May 1.

Counties that wish to keep an outdoor mask order in place or retain limits on restaurants and bars can do so, the governor acknowledged. But he said the time has come to move to “the next phase” in the fight against the virus.

“Everybody whose been vaccinated can no longer continue to be held back because of the few who are refusing to,” he said.

Face coverings will continue to be required for “large ticketed venues,” when visiting any business, and on public transportation.

The state will open its 13th mass vaccination site on Friday at the Mall in Columbia, Hogan said. But with supplies increasing and demand leveling off, he said the state will eventually begin to phase out the high-volume locations.

“We’re probably not going to have every day of the week. We’re probably not going to have the same hours. We’ll gradually wind them down until they’re no longer needed,” he said.

Maryland continues to grow the list of pharmacies and doctors’ offices offering the vaccine, as well as no-appointment-necessary opportunities.

Ed Singer, the health officer in Carroll County, called Hogan’s move “a pretty reasonable step” given the data.

“We’ve known since the beginning of this pandemic that anything that we do outdoors is safer than things that we’re doing indoors,” he said. “Most of the outbreaks that we’ve seen… have mostly had to do with close contacts inside.”

Singer, head of the Maryland Association of County Health Officers, was speaking only in his capacity as the health chief in Carroll County.

“The whole issue with transmission outside is, I think, relatively low risk,” he said.

Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) called Hogan’s move premature. He noted that few counties in Maryland have crossed the 50% vaccination threshold.

“The CDC says if you’re outdoors and cannot socially distance, you need to wear a mask if you haven’t been vaccinated,” he said. “There’s no reason not to be cautious on that.”

Elrich said his team will “probably” recommend to the County Council, which serves as the Board of Health, to keep current restrictions in place, despite Hogan’s order.

“You should wear a mask if you’re outdoor dining and you’re talking to people and you’re walking around,” he said. “[Going mask-less] is not a safe thing to do.”

Montgomery’s case count stands at 8 for every 100,000 people. Elrich said he built a large-county spreadsheet using New York Times data and found that Montgomery is the only jurisdiction with more than 750,000 residents that has a case-count that low.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny A. Olszewski Jr. (D) announced Wednesday evening that his jurisdiction will align with the state.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) said in a statement that he and his health team are reviewing the governor’s order.

“We would like to reiterate that the CDC’s guidance for not wearing a mask when outdoors under certain conditions specifically refers to fully vaccinated individuals, or those interacting with fully vaccinated individuals,” he wrote.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (D) said in a statement that he too is “reviewing” the governor’s actions.

Hogan said he will greet vice president Kamala Harris when she visits the state’s mass vaccination site at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday. Her visit, on the day following the president’s address to Congress, is expected to highlight the administration’s efforts to fight the pandemic and provide relief to families and businesses.

“I think it was picked because it’s a perfect example of a very well-run vaccination center,” Hogan said. “It’s part of our equity effort in Baltimore City and we’re cranking out a lot of vaccinations there. … We’re going to be proud to show it off to her.”

Scott (D) will also greet the vice president, according to an aide.

By Bruce DePuyt

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

Filed Under: COVID-19, Maryland News Tagged With: coronvirus, Covid-19, Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland, masks, outdoor, pandemic, vaccination, vaccines

Hogan Easing More Restrictions on Businesses and Public Gatherings

May 28, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced Wednesday that he is easing the state into the “completion” of his administration’s “stage one recovery plan” from the COVID-19 outbreak, allowing restaurants to serve customers outdoors and expanding recreational activities in the state.

At a late afternoon State House news conference, Hogan said he was comfortable taking additional steps to reopen the state’s economy and lift certain restrictions on Marylanders’ movements and activities because key metrics — including the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity, hospitalization rates and number of patients in intensive-care units — are “trending in the right direction.”

Hogan emphasized that the ultimate call for restricting activities in the state rests with local leaders. He pointed out that officials in 23 of the state’s 24 jurisdictions — with the exception of Montgomery County — have taken steps to reopen their economies and ease travel restrictions, or have announced their intention to do so.

Hogan’s announcement comes as the death toll from the coronavirus topped 2,200 in Maryland Wednesday. But the governor said the state has just hit its goal of conducting 10,000 COVID-19 tests a day, and that 334,000 tests have been taken overall. He said the rate of tests that come back positive, along with the number of COVID patients in hospitals and ICU units, have dropped dramatically over the past month.

Hogan said that even in the state’s coronavirus hot spots — Prince George’s and Montgomery counties — the percentage of positive tests is declining significantly.

“I understand — some people believe we’re moving too quickly, other people believe we’re moving too slowly,” Hogan said. “I understand there’s going to be criticism on both sides and we’re not going to make everybody happy.”

Hogan said polls have suggested that about 80% of Marylanders believe restrictions are being lifted at about the right pace.

Two weeks ago, Hogan announced the first phase of his stage one plan to ease restrictions in the state. He reopened state parks, playgrounds and beaches, and said certain retail outlets could open if they employed self-distancing practices and emphasized curbside pickups.

Under the new order, beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, restaurants — many of which have relied on takeout and delivery orders, if they haven’t shuttered altogether — can begin serving patrons on decks, patios and other outdoor settings. Hogan said he was also encouraging local governments to “find innovative ways” to enable restaurants to expand their outdoor seating capacity, by closing certain streets to vehicular traffic.

Under Hogan’s guidance, no more than six people can sit together at an outdoor table, and patrons must be spaced at least six feet apart. Restaurants — along with VFW halls and social clubs, which are also covered by the order — must adhere to strict sanitation and safety practices as laid out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hogan said all restaurant workers must be screened daily for fever.

Business owners and the groups that represent them were cautiously optimistic about Hogan’s announcement, but also wondered how quickly local governments would adopt Hogan’s guidance.

“Restaurants operate on the thinnest of margins under normal circumstances, so giving us more opportunities to get our customers back is very much appreciated,” said Andrew Fox, owner of two Annapolis restaurants, Fox’s Den and Vida Taco Bar.

Mike O’Halloran, Maryland director of the National Federation of Independent Business, called Hogan’s announcement “welcome news.”

“But serious concerns remain with how this will play out in each jurisdiction and if restaurateurs will be able to staff up appropriately,” he said.

In a Facebook post, state Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) said he was “exceedingly pleased” with Hogan’s announcement.

“This action is essential to the survival of Maryland’s hospitality industry, which is responsible for nearly half a million jobs in our state,” said Franchot, whose office has run one of its patented social media campaigns to urge Hogan to allow restaurants to serve customers outdoors.

Also beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, outdoor swimming pools will be allowed to reopen at 25% capacity, Hogan said. Children’s day camps can reopen for outdoor activities only, with a limited number of participants. Youth sports leagues can resume “low contact” outdoor practices. All children and staffers must be checked regularly for COVID-like symptoms.

Hogan said that if COVID-19 public health trends continue, and if his latest moves to reopen the state prove successful, he’ll consider activating Phase Two of his reopening plan next week, which would enable businesses deemed nonessential to reopen.

Still no movement in Montgomery County

Even as Prince George’s County, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia take tentative steps on their first phases of reopening, Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) told a media briefing Wednesday, about five hours before Hogan spoke, that the first steps in his jurisdiction’s reopening probably won’t come until early next week.

“I feel pretty good about the numbers being where they are,” Elrich said — but he added that he was worried about a possible spike in cases following a big turnout on the beach and boardwalk at Ocean City during the Memorial Day weekend.

Hogan was asked several times at his news conference about the resistance of certain large counties to follow his guidelines on reopening, and replied, “I don’t want to criticize the local leaders.” But he did suggest at one point: “The county leaders aren’t paying attention to the state metrics. They seem to be making up their own plans.”

In a statement, Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, a public employee union, criticized Hogan’s move.

“With the Governor’s latest public announcement, it would seem the Governor has turned to taking cues from those groups demanding to ‘open Maryland’ versus public health experts,” Moran said.

He expressed concern that Hogan was jeopardizing the health of government workers — and in turn, their ability to operate and maintain state facilities.

“The Hogan administration has still failed to protect state employees, which in turn is a failure to protect the public,” Moran said.

By 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: Covid-19, Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland, outdoor, repoening, restaurants

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