Talbot County officials are urging short-term rentals, B&Bs, and hotels in the county to suspend all future rental operations during the state of emergency as concerns mount about travelers spreading COVID-19.

Of particular concern are people coming from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, where the number of cases have skyrocketed in recent days.

On Wednesday, Gov. Larry Hogan ordered anyone in the state who has recently traveled to that tri-state area to self quarantine for 14 days.

“Any Marylander or anyone visiting Maryland who has recently spent time in New York or visited the tri-state area must quarantine in place and limit contact with others for at least 14 days,” Hogan said. The Trump administration had issued a similar recommendation on Tuesday.

The Talbot County Council unanimously agreed Thursday afternoon to send a letter to all short-term rental license holders and all hotels and bed and breakfasts urging them to immediately suspend all future rental operations. The council used video and teleconference for the meeting, which was held in a reconfigured council chambers to maintain social distancing among council members and staff; Council President Corey Pack participated via telephone.

“This was an attempt to number one to be consistent with the governor’s directive regarding those persons coming into Maryland from the tri-state area … to quarantine in place for 14 days,” Pack said.

Councilwoman Laura Price questioned whether the county could order short-term rentals and B&Bs to close under Talbot’s emergency declaration.

“That’s as far as we can go?” she asked. “I don’t think you can do it with the hotels, but the bed and breakfast and the short-term rentals, there’s nothing we can do since they are directly licensed by us?”

Assistant County Attorney Mary O’Donnell said suspending county licenses for those businesses would require emergency legislation.

“We could introduce and put into place emergency legislation to suspend licenses but I don’t believe we can in (an emergency) declaration,” O’Donnell said. “I believe that the governor has that ability. The governor’s powers are very broad and we could discuss that with the governor the ability to have that kind of thing suspended.”

She also noted that “lodging is specifically included as an essential service” in the governor’s executive order closing non-essential businesses during the state of emergency.

“It’s tough because urging people to do it; we saw what happened with the governor starting with 250 people going down to 50 going down to 10,” Price said. “(H)e stopped short of saying shelter-in-place but he was getting very frustrated because people weren’t following the orders. When you say we urge you to do it people do it anyway…. Not all people listen unfortunately.”

“It’s an instruction, but it’s short of the full force of law,” Councilman Pete Lesher said of the proposed letter.

On Thursday, Garrett County’s health officer ordered all transient vacation rental properties in that county to close effective 5 p.m. Friday, including the cancellation of  existing bookings. The order does not apply to hotel and motel occupancy.

Garrett County defines a Transient Vacation Rental Unit as “a building offering complete living facilities under one roof provided that a maximum of 8 bedrooms and a maximum occupancy of two persons per bedroom plus four additional persons will be permitted on the property and that the living facilities are rented on the basis of a 14-day period or less to guests.”

The letter from the Talbot County Council and signed by Pack states:

With the ongoing concerns surrounding the spread of the Coronavirus/COVID-19, the Talbot County Council is asking everyone who is present in Talbot County to please take the directives from President Trump, Maryland Governor Hogan and the Talbot County Council seriously. Please close non-essential businesses and do not gather in groups larger than ten (10) persons.

We urge any visitors and any individuals returning to their homes here in the County to take the precaution of self-quarantining for at least fourteen (14) days to prevent the spread of the virus into this community. As you may know, President Trump and Governor Hogan are specifically requiring that all individuals coming to Maryland from, or that have recently visited the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, to quarantine in place and limit contact with others for at least fourteen (14) days.

In addition, Talbot County is urging all short-term rental license holders and all hotels and bed and breakfasts to immediately suspend all future rental operations. We are asking that all such short-term rental owners and all hotels and bed and breakfasts to place a copy of this letter requesting that visitors self-quarantine for fourteen (14) days on the doors of their properties until the Governor lifts the state of emergency here in Maryland.

For those in the area, local restaurants are limited to carry-out, drive-thru and delivery services. Some local grocery stores and pharmacies are offering delivery/pick up services.

Please continue to take extra precautions to limit contact with others.

• Social distancing – Maintain a minimum of six (6) feet between persons.

• Sanitizing – Wash hands carefully and frequently. Clean areas and surfaces with sanitizer.

For additional information on State and local Orders, Proclamations and resources, please visit www.talbotcovid19.org.

For information relating to this letter, please contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 410-770-8030.