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June 12, 2025

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News Maryland News

State Police Deploys Troopers to Quash Super-Spreader Events Over the Holiday

November 25, 2020 by Maryland Matters

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.

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: bars, compliance, coronavirus, Covid-19, enforcement, maryland state police, restaurants, retail, super-spreader

Talbot Outlines Phase 3 Recovery

September 4, 2020 by Spy Desk

Gov. Larry Hogan announced at his press conference on Sept. 1, 2020, that the state would be entering
the third phase of Maryland’s Recovery Plan for COVID-19 beginning 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4.

Phase three allows theaters to open at 50% occupancy or up to 100 people. Retail businesses and religious
facilities can move from 50% to 75% occupancy. Restaurants, personal services establishments, indoor
recreation venues, fitness centers, and gaming facilities remain at 50% occupancy.

Venues in Maryland at which live performances occur or where motion pictures are shown outdoors and at
which entry is limited to ticketed customers, may open with 50% of 0utdoor maximum cccupancy of the
venue or 250 persons, whichever is less. Senior Centers remain closed.

Masks On Maryland

The mandate on face covering did not change. The previous executive order requires anyone over the age of
five years to wear a face covering when indoors where the public is permitted, outdoors when six foot
distance can’t be maintained, on public transportation, in healthcare offices and facilities, and when engaged
in work in any area where interaction with others is likely or food is prepared or packaged. The same
exceptions are listed for mask wearing.

“As reopening continues, the risk of infection with COVID-19 will increase and an increase in cases will almost certainly occur,” said Health Officer Dr. Fredia Wadley. “Masks and social distancing will be even more critical to keep infection rates low.”

Adult Sports Reopen Sans Fans

A new directive and order was issued by Secretary Neall of Maryland Department of Health to
supersede the Directive and Order Regarding Community, Recreational, Leisure, Cultural and Sporting
Gatherings and Events, dated June 12, and June 10, 2020.

All adult sports gatherings may open without spectators. High school and college athletics may resume sports gatherings and events without spectators and with contact sports modified following CDC guidance.

All people within an indoor sports facility are to maintain six feet social distancing whenever possible, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not feasible.

CDC guidance provides a range of sports conditions that equate to four risk levels with contact sports
competition games being the highest risk. However, the CDC guidelines are vague about what level should be
allowed according to the level of transmission of the virus in the area. Health officers have posed many
questions to the Maryland Department of Health for guidance relative to the new executive order and the
secretary’s directive.

Non-School Related Youth Sports Allowed

On Aug. 3, 2020, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA), in consultation
with the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and the
Public School Superintendent Association of Maryland (PSSAM), decided to postpone the 2020 high school fall and winter competition season during the first semester.

Youth sports gatherings and events outside of public schools have been allowed to open since the Governor’s
Executive Order in June 2020 and these events can have parents and family as spectators with appropriate
social distancing.

The secretary’s directive reads, “For contact sports (wrestling, basketball and football) play should be modified to safely increase the distance between players following CDC guidance.”

Some parents want these youth leagues to require masks and other restrictions so there will be less risk for
COVID-19 infection for their youth, but not all parents hold this view. The vagueness around contact sports
guidelines will not likely be resolved with further guidance from the state.

“Needless to say, no one has found a way to maintain distance between youth in a wrestling match or during
tackle football,” Dr. Wadley said. “My recommendation now is that parents carefully consider the risk for
their child and make their own decisions about whether they are willing for their child to play contact sports
when masks and social distancing will be almost impossible to maintain.”

Open With Caution

“Most of our businesses in Talbot County have stepped up and are working hard to keep their customers
safe,” said Director of Emergency Services Clay Stamp. “But it’s more important than ever that we try to
achieve a balance between reopening and curtailing the spread of the virus.”

Once again, personal responsibility seems to be the key to getting more businesses and activities safely
opened.

“While our individual decisions and behavior to protect ourselves seem trivial in the big picture of a pandemic, they can be very effective, and they are all we have,” said Dr. Wadley. “Just because big gatherings are allowed doesn’t mean we should go. When businesses are not safe, don’t spend your money there. Further, since wearing masks and social distancing decreases the spread of COVID-19, let’s at least do that so our businesses can reopen and our children may get back to their classrooms again.”

Where to Find More Information

  • CDC COVID-2019 Website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
  • Talbot County COVID-19 Information: www.talbotcovid19.org
  • Shore Regional Health COVID Information: www.umms.org/shore/patients-visitors/coronavirus
  • Maryland Department of Health Website: health.maryland.gov/pages/home.aspx
  • Talbot County Health Department Website: health.maryland.gov/talbotcounty/Pages/home.aspx
  • Maryland COVID-19 Website: governor.maryland.gov/coronavirus

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 Tagged With: businesses, Covid-19, gov. hogan, masks, phase 3, Recovery, restaurants, retail, sports, theaters

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