Gov. Larry Hogan

Hogan Tightens Rules on Masks; Public Health Chief Announces Retirement

July 30, 2020 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Although Maryland is doing relatively well when it comes to positive COVID-19 cases compared to other states, a recent 28% increase in hospitalizations “is enough to trigger a stop sign, calling for a pause in further reopening plans,” Hogan said in the afternoon news conference. The total number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the state was 571 as of Wednesday morning.

Maryland has hit a critical “fork in the road,” Hogan said, where the state could either continue health safety precautions or ignore warning signs and risk a surge in positive cases.

In response, Hogan imposed stricter mask-wearing restrictions. As of 5 p.m. on Friday, face masks will be required inside public buildings and at outdoor events where social distancing at least 6 feet apart is not possible.

“While it can be an inconvenience, especially in the heat, wearing a mask is the single best mitigation strategy that we have to fight the virus,” Hogan said.

Dr. Jinlene Chan, the state’s assistant health secretary and chief medical officer since 2018, called the mask guidelines “one of the small inconveniences” Marylanders will have to put up with to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.

Hogan also issued a travel advisory to states with a positivity rate greater than 10%: Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, Nebraska and Idaho. Hogan clarified that this was “a public health advisory and not a ban.” If Marylanders do come back from these states, they should immediately get tested, he said.

On Tuesday, the federal government labeled 21 states as “red zones” given their rapidly rising case numbers. Although Maryland was not one of them, the state is “not immune,” Hogan said.

It would not be surprising if the state experiences an increase in COVID-19 deaths in the next few days, according to Cyrus Shahpar, director of the Prevent Epidemics Team at the Resolve to Save Lives, a global health initiative.

“I would characterize Maryland as having a rising case incidence since the first week of July, a rise in hospitalizations since the second week of July, and we know deaths tend to come three to four weeks after exposure,” he said.

“So Maryland is due for a rise in deaths…The rise will be kind of muted but there will be a rise in the next week or two.”

Shortly after Hogan’s news conference, the Maryland Public Interest Research Group urged Hogan to close non-essential businesses and limit restaurant services to take out.

“If we want to prevent a surge of new cases, people should stay home, going out only if they work in an essential service, need to get food and medicine, or to exercise and get fresh air,” Emily Scarr, the director of Maryland PIRG, said in a statement.

Hogan said the main activity of individuals who have tested positive recently was attending family gatherings. The two other consequential activities were house parties and outdoor events.

More than half of those who tested positive were working outside their homes. Other high-risk locations include shopping centers and retail stores, in addition to restaurants, Hogan said.

Fran Phillips, state government’s top public health officer, who has helped lead Maryland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Wednesday that she is retiring.

In her 33-year public health career, Phillips has moved back and forth between the Anne Arundel County Health Department and the state’s Department of Health and tackled epidemics like SARS in 2003 and H1NI1 “swine flu” in 2009.

Phillips will be replaced on at least an interim basis by Chan.

“Dr. Chan, you have some very big shoes to fill,” said Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) at a State House news conference Wednesday.

Phillips had served as the state’s public health chief under former Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D) and then returned to Anne Arundel County. In 2018, Robert R. Neall begged Phillips to return to the deputy secretary role at the Department of Health after he was appointed to serve as department secretary. Neall is a former Anne Arundel County executive.

Although Phillips initially agreed to serve only one more year before retirement, Hogan noted that she stayed for almost two years.

“It seems like we’ve actually gotten an extra five years out of her just in the past five months of this pandemic,” Hogan said Wednesday. He added that Phillips will stay on in an “advisory capacity” as the state continues to navigate the novel COVID-19 crisis.

“It is now time for me to return to retirement,” Phillips said.

She expressed confidence that the state would be left in good hands.

“No one in the department has been more present or worked harder with good humor than Dr. Jinlene Chan,” Phillips said. “I know she will carry on the state’s public health work with dedication and with resolve.”

Chan has worked with Phillips for many years, both in state government and in Anne Arundel County.

By Elizabeth Shwe

Hogan: Trump Wrong on States’ COVID Needs

July 23, 2020 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) flatly rejected President Trump’s claim that the states have everything they need to confront the COVID-19 pandemic head-on.

“It’s obviously not the case,” Hogan told reporters at a State House news conference Wednesday. “There are still things that we really need.”

Hogan said the federal government has improved its supply of PPE and ventilators — and he praised Congress for helping businesses, schools and the unemployed through the CARES Act. But the recent spike in cases in dozens of states has strained the system anew, he said.

“We don’t have all the things we need. Every governor still needs a lot of other things that we’re still fighting for,” Hogan said at the late afternoon news conference.

The lack of testing and other supplies is reminiscent of the early days of the crisis, said Hogan, the chairman of the National Governors Association. “It’s looking like it was in March and April.”

At a White House briefing on Monday, Trump said states have “everything they need.”

“The governors are working very, very hard, and we are supporting them 100%,” Trump said. “Everything they need they get, and we are taking good care. We have tremendous supplies and a great supply chain, whether it’s ventilators or gowns or just about anything they need.”

The White House “currently has zero unfulfilled requests for equipment or anything else that they need from the governors,” Trump added. “No governor needs anything right now and we think we’ll have it that way until the end because frankly we are stocked up and ready to go.”

Hogan has ramped up his criticism of Trump in recent days during interviews leading up to the publication of his memoir next week. He appeared to concede that candor may carry risks, saying, “I hesitate to be overly critical in the middle of a pandemic when we’re all trying to work together at the federal, state and local level.”

In other remarks related to the pandemic:

• Hogan said it is imperative that Congress provide additional aid to cash-strapped states.

On Wednesday he and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), the NGA vice chairman, issued a joint statement urging that a $500 billion “state stabilization fund” be included in any future COVID-19 federal relief package.

“We really have to get something done,” Hogan said.

The governor said that 1.6 million state and local government workers around the country have already lost their jobs due to revenue shortfalls spawned by the drop in economic activity.

“We’re trying to provide more services to more people who really need them, with a lot less revenue. And we’re on the front lines. To cut money for testing, to say we’re not going to provide additional help for the states, it can be devastating.”

• The governor said some residents are refusing to cooperate with the state’s contact tracing program, and he pleaded with them to do so.

From mid-June to mid-July, contact tracers reached out to more than 80% of confirmed COVID cases within 24 hours — and they were able to reach 75% of the people infected during that period, the governor said.

The effort has been hampered by the number of people who don’t answer their phone or refuse to cooperate, he added.

“Not cooperating severely limits our ability to identify and contain this deadly virus. So I’m pleading with Marylanders. If you get a call from ‘MD COVID,’ we ask that you answer the call and please cooperate with the investigator.”

• Hogan said the surge in COVID cases around the country has overwhelmed the private labs that do testing, but he said a new facility at the University of Maryland Baltimore is now fully staffed and operational — “enabling us to ramp up even more of our own in-house testing, by utilizing specialized Korean machinery and cutting edge robotics.”

He said the state’s new lab can produce results in 24-48 hours. Commercial labs are currently taking 7-10 days to provide results.

Hogan said the “high-quality tests kits” that the state purchased from South Korea “continue to be the centerpiece of our long-term testing strategy,” and that “tens of thousands” of them have been used to test nursing home residents, poultry workers and people in other “hot spots.”

He warned that the backlog in private lab processing may force the state to dip into its “strategic stockpile” more quickly than anticipated. Without those delays, Hogan said, Maryland has enough tests to get through flu season and into 2021.

• Hogan said that anyone who travels to an area where COVID cases are spiking should quarantine and get tested when they return home. He said he is not ready to impose a statewide mask order, but will do so if it becomes necessary.

Despite a recent uptick in hospitalizations, the state’s other metrics are good.

Rather than reimpose restrictions on bars and indoor dining, Hogan said it is imperative that bar owners follow the rules — that all patrons be seated and socially distanced — and that local governments do necessary enforcement.

“Our economy is open,” he said. “But only you can keep Maryland open for business, by wearing masks and continuing to follow the public health guidelines.”

“It’s really pretty simple,” he added. “No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service.”

By Bruce DePuyt

Frosh Blasts Hogan’s Plan for Traditional General Election in November, Warns of Voter Suppression and Virus

July 14, 2020 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) on Friday blasted Republican Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.’s recent decision to hold a traditional election in November, saying requiring voters to apply for mail-in ballots could suppress thousands of votes.

In a written statement, Frosh said Hogan’s plan limits voters’ options in November, and demanded that Maryland hold the November election primarily by mail. He said Hogan was folding to partisan pressure in his decision to require voters to fill out an application if they want vote-by-mail ballots.

“Bowing to Donald Trump’s reckless demands for in-person voting puts at risk the lives of Maryland citizens and risks disenfranchising many thousands of eligible voters,” Frosh wrote. “Governor Hogan should immediately reverse course and authorize a vote-by-mail election in the November presidential election.”

Although advocates, Democratic lawmakers and local election officials pleaded with Hogan to hold another vote-by-mail election, the governor announced this week that voters would be mailed absentee ballot applications.

“The fundamental responsibility of the State Board of Elections is to conduct free and fair elections in a manner that facilitates maximum voter participation,” Hogan said in a Wednesday statement after releasing his election plan. “This approach — which is already fully authorized by existing state law — will maximize participation in the November election by offering voters more options while minimizing confusion and risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Republican members of the State Board of Elections and prominent GOP lawmakers had previously raised a red flag over mailing every registered voter a ballot. They said that requiring voters to fill out an application limits the chance for voter fraud.

Frosh tore into those arguments in his statement, pointing out that voter fraud is extremely rare in states that already conduct mail-in elections.

“The data reveals the ‘voter fraud’ argument itself to be a fraud,” the attorney general wrote. “Massive voter fraud is exceedingly rare because of the checks and balances that our election processes have in place to prevent it.”

Through his spokesman, Hogan hit back at Frosh late Friday afternoon.

“Brian Frosh is now suggesting that we ignore our election laws, limit options for voters, and suppress the vote by closing polling precincts,” the spokesman, Michael Ricci, said in a statement. “We will do none of that. We will follow the law, and actively encourage early voting, absentee voting-by-mail, and voting at off-peak times as safe and efficient options for voters.”

Although Frosh as attorney general is technically the lawyer for Hogan’s administration and all of state government, the two have had an uneasy relationship since winning their statewide offices in 2014.

Hogan announced his intention to hold a more traditional election days after the Maryland Association of Election Officials called on him to hold a mail-in election. David Garreis, the association’s president, said local election officials simply don’t have the resources to process thousands of applications in a Monday letter.

“We cannot overstate the devastating consequences likely to result if the State of Maryland does not plan now to mail every voter a ballot for the 2020 Presidential General Election,” Garreis, the deputy director of the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections, wrote to Hogan, state Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone and state Board of Elections Chairman Michael R. Cogan.

Requiring voters to fill out applications before they receive their mail-in ballot has been attempted in other states. Georgia and Washington, D.C., both required voters to fill out applications if they wanted to vote by mail in their recent primaries.

The District of Columbia has since announced it would mail every voter a ballot for the November elections, with its board of elections saying it was overwhelmed by the massive amount of ballot requests.

In Georgia, voters seemed to use absentee ballots after they were mailed applications for the state’s June primary, but some were left waiting for weeks before their ballot requests were processed. Other voters reportedly didn’t receive their ballots at all.

Late ballot deliveries and long lines on election day were problems in Maryland’s largely vote-by-mail primary. Every registered voter was mailed a ballot for the state’s June 2 election, but many received ballots weeks later than expected. Others received incorrect ballots, and those who opted to vote in person were met with long lines on election day.

Hogan vowed to expand in-person voting options for the November election, and said the State Board of Elections should encourage voters to use absentee ballots.

While Maryland’s mail-in primary was rife with errors, it also saw very high voter turnout as voters seemed to embrace mail-in ballots. Frosh said emphasizing an in-person election won’t just decrease turnout – but also put lives at risk.

“We are in the middle of a pandemic that is burning out of control,” Frosh wrote. “In Maryland more than 3,250 lives have already been lost. Requiring voters to appear in person to cast their ballots unnecessarily puts voters’ lives and the lives of poll workers at risk.”

The State Board of Elections indicated it would comply with Hogan’s orders in a Wednesday afternoon news release.

“The Board will move forward with plans for a traditional general election on November 3rd and will expand efforts to promote voting by mail, early voting, and voting at off-peak times,” the statement said. “The Board will continue to work closely with local boards of elections, stakeholders, and the general public to conduct a safe and accessible general election.”

By Bennett Leckrone

As Md. Reopens, ‘Hardest Decisions are Coming,’ Health Expert Warns

June 4, 2020 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

A top health expert praised Maryland’s cautious approach to reopening its economy following the COVID-19 outbreak, but he said Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) and his team face much tougher decisions in the weeks ahead.

The state faces particularly wrenching tradeoffs regarding how to reopen schools, he said.

Adding to the decision-making challenge are multiple unknowns, including whether the recent increase in travel and activity will produce a spike in infections, and whether people who participate in large demonstrations are at greater risk of coronavirus exposure.

Maryland has fully entered Phase 1 of its reopening — allowing limited retail, outdoor dining and selected sporting and leisure activities — and will soon move into Phase 2, Hogan announced at a news conference late Wednesday afternoon.

Dr. Thomas V. Inglesby/Johns Hopkins photo

But the state faces tougher questions about the next phases of what the governor has dubbed the “Roadmap to Recovery,” said Thomas V. Inglesby, director of the Center for Healthy Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a top Hogan health adviser.

Among the tough calls that lie ahead, he said: how and when to resume indoor dining, reopen theaters and other entertainment venues, allow larger gatherings, and permit K-12 and university students to return to the classroom.

“All those activities will have more risks than the things that we have so far,” Inglesby told the legislature’s COVID-19 Workgroup. “Some of the hardest decisions are coming, and I don’t think there are clear answers to those yet.”

Inglesby said the lessons learned in the hard-hit New York City area, Europe, Asia and elsewhere can help guide the state’s decision-making process.

While the incubation period for the virus is believed to be around 14 days, he told lawmakers the state won’t know for close to a month whether Phase 1 activities produce a spike in COVID-19 infection.

“To see big changes probably would take more like four-to-six weeks,” Inglesby said. “It takes time for people to develop the disease, they have an incubation period, [and] it may take them days, at least days, to be sick enough to be hospitalized.”

If people get sick in such numbers that it strains the health care system, Inglesby warned, the governor will be forced to act.

“We do need to be prepared to pause on the reopening process if things move in the wrong direction. If the hospital indicators in particular move dangerously in the wrong direction, it might be that we need even to reverse some of the decisions, if that is the only available tool that we have.”

The same concern holds true for the racial justice demonstrations that are taking place across the state. “There definitely will be a risk posed by large gatherings of people,” Inglesby said.

Most outbreaks around the globe have followed indoor events, like the religious gathering in Malaysia that brought 16,000 people to a mosque in February.

He advised wearing masks, maintaining distance from others, and to use noisemakers or drums (rather than shouting) when participating “in these important events.”

“I do think we should be prepared for the possibility of a rise in cases in the next two-to-four-to-six weeks,” Inglesby told the panel.

To continue moving forward with reopening, Maryland must sustain its testing efforts and its contact tracing program, so that infected — and potentially infected — persons can be identified, isolated and quarantined.

“This process is also called ‘case-based management’ and it is the process that has led to success in places in the world where things have been better,” he said.

Bringing children back to the classroom

Inglesby said there “there is still a big debate in the public health community” about how to reopen schools.

“Everyone agrees that it’s been terrible for children to be out of school for so many reasons — educational, support, safety. On the other hand, we haven’t had a lot of experience [in other places] with schools being open since this started.”

Given the pattern of COVID-19 exposure — with adults being more at risk than children — the biggest concern surrounds teachers, administrators, parents and grandparents who live in multi-generational households.

“Those questions haven’t really been answered by research yet,” he said.

Just this week, schools in Israel were forced to close following an outbreak.

“We’re going to have to find a way to tolerate some level of risk and balance all the good from schools with some level of risk for spread,” Inglesby said.

He said university decision-makers face the “additional problem of congregant living” — dorms, bathrooms and dining halls.

Tense questioning over test kits

The legislature’s COVID-19 Workgroup received a lengthy update on the state’s response to the pandemic from Hogan’s top health advisers, including Health Secretary Robert R. Neall, Health Department CEO Dennis R. Schrader and Deputy Secretary Fran B. Phillips.

Because of their lingering suspicions surrounding the 500,000 test kits that Maryland procured from South Korea, a purchase many lawmakers believe was over-hyped by Hogan, lawmakers pressed the trio about their use — and whether the kits are missing key components.

Most of the questioning was done by Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard), a physician.

“Something doesn’t compute,” Lam said at one point. “You have, you say, all the pieces, but we’re not testing to the degree that we really ought to.”

“If we have 500,000 tests that are in hand here in the state, and we have identified a priority for strike teams to go into nursing homes, why is it taking two months for the specimen collection kits to get out there and make it back?” he asked.

Phillips defended the state’s testing program.

“There is no shortage of test kits to distribute to the nursing homes,” she said.

“We’re not missing any component that’s necessary to operate these tests,” Phillips replied during another flurry of questions.

The briefing, scheduled to last 35 minutes, ran an hour and a half. If lawmakers were satisfied with their responses, they didn’t say so.

Phillips said the state is now benefiting from a new “signature lab” at the University of Maryland Baltimore that will continue to boost testing capacity — and that any resident who wants a screening can get one.

“We’re using [the South Korean tests] judiciously as part of a long-term strategy,” Phillips added. “Meanwhile we are maximizing our available contracts right now, for these out-of-state labs. For as long as they’re good, we’re going to use them.”

She said the state is “in a bit of a lull” when it comes to confirmed coronavirus cases but warned there could be “a very rocky period” in the fall. Schrader cautioned that “there could be second, third and fourth waves” of coronavirus infection come autumn.

Because “there is not a vaccine on the horizon any time soon,” Phillips added, residents should expect that “this deadly and highly-transmissible virus will be with us for months and months to come.”

Last week, at another briefing, state procurement officials defended the decision to purchase masks and PPE from a

newly-formed Delaware firm — a company started by two Republican political operatives just days before winning a $12.5 million contract with Maryland.

The company, Blue Flame Medical, is now in a legal tussle with the state regarding the delivery of items Maryland ordered. The firm was referred to the Department of General Services, the state’s lead procurement agency, by an unidentified member of the governor’s staff.

Although the head of DGS repeatedly urged lawmakers to direct questions about the Blue Flame deal to the Department of Health, they posed no questions about the contract during the 95-minute briefing Wednesday.

By Bruce DePuyt

Hogan Outlines Phase 2 Reopening, Which Will Start Friday

June 4, 2020 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

With a new University of Maryland Baltimore lab set to greatly expand the state’s COVID-19 testing capabilities, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced Wednesday that many business establishments can reopen beginning Friday evening.

Phase 2 of the state’s economic recovery “roadmap,” which takes effect at 5 p.m. on June 5, permits manufacturing, construction, retail establishments, “specialty vendors,” wholesalers and warehouses to allow employees to resume operations as long as they undertake efforts to reduce social interaction and keep work environments clean.

A variety of offices — including information technology companies, law offices, accounting firms, banking and financial institutions, insurance agencies, design studios, advertising and architectural firms, and media production companies — can also reopen their doors.

Also getting the green light to reopen:

real estate offices
travel agencies
auto dealer showrooms
bank branches

Nail salons, massage therapists, tanning salons and tattoo parlors may resume operations at up to 50% capacity and on an appointment-only basis — and with appropriate health guidelines.

The state Motor Vehicle Administration will open select branches on an appointment-only basis.

The governor said the move to Phase 2 was made possible by an increase in testing capability, a drop in the state’s coronavirus “positivity” numbers and a gradual but steady decline in hospitalization rates.

By week’s end, the state will have conducted more than 400,000 tests, Hogan said. In a dig at the White House, the governor said the federal government failed to make federal labs available to the state, despite a pledge from the president.

“Although the White House publicly offered the use of federal labs, after several months of effort, the reality is that we still have not been able to access any of them,” he said.

Hogan announced that the Institute of Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine has converted a research lab into a “full-scale clinical testing” operation that “will be the backbone of our sustained, long-term testing strategy.”

The governor said companies that reopen their doors must adhere to local, state and CDC guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19 to workers or customers.

That means face coverings should be worn during face-to-face interactions, temperature checks, rotating or altering employee shifts, and shortening the workweek where possible.

Companies that can utilize telework should continue to do so, Hogan said.

As with the state’s move into Phase 1, Hogan’s order gives counties the option of moving in tandem with the state or advancing at a later date.

Local leaders didn’t know of Hogan’s plans until he announced them at a 4 p.m. State House news conference on Wednesday.

Several of Maryland’s larger counties made the move to Phase 1 later than those in less-populated jurisdictions and were reviewing the governor’s decision late Wednesday.

Sean Naron, a spokesman for Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (R), said the county “will be evaluating the announcement made today, consulting with experts, and identifying next steps in the near future.”

In Howard County, Executive Calvin S. Ball (D) said his jurisdiction would adopt Phase 2 on Friday.

“We continue to see progress on the building blocks needed to reopen safely and effectively,” he said in a statement. “We expect our case numbers to increase as we test more of our population and we will be keeping a close eye on our hospitalization, ICU and ventilator rates over the coming weeks.”

Within moments of Hogan’s announcement, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman (R) said his county would take full advantage of Phase 2.

Hogan’s order leaves bars and restaurants closed, except for outdoor dining and carryout. Churches may only operate at reduced capacity. Gyms, casinos and indoor movie theaters remain closed.

Transit schedules “will begin to return to a more normal schedule” under Phase 2 and the state Department of Education will continue with its gradual plan to reopen child care centers.

By Bruce DePuyt

Hogan Easing More Restrictions on Businesses and Public Gatherings

May 28, 2020 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

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

Commerce: When an Alcohol Distillery Takes on COVID-19

May 19, 2020 by Val Cavalheri Leave a Comment

By now, you probably know about how St. Michaels’ Windon Distilling, home of Lyon Rum, temporarily ventured into making hand sanitizers. But did you know that they’re still at it?

If you don’t remember or weren’t paying close attention, here is a brief recap. In mid-March, as businesses closed around the nation, the call went out, and a temporary dispensation was given to beverage alcohol distilleries to help make much-needed sanitizers. Distilleries everywhere took on the challenge. As the founder and CEO of Windon Distilling and the President of the Maryland Distillers Guild, Jamie Windon was in a unique position to help guide and create a network and database to funnel the many requests they were getting. These requests came from all over Maryland on behalf of multiple state agencies, front line workers, and essential businesses.

Those first few weeks were a scramble to learn how to make the product, how to procure the ancillary supplies (glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, bottles), and how to get it to the people who needed it. But the decision to make a new product was something they knew they had to do, not something they were doing from a business perspective. “This was our saying, yes to a need that came down to us from the State and the County,” says Windon. “We were simply responding, and because we were responding to their requests, we had no idea when we made that first batch if that was the only batch we were going to make, if we were going to do that and be done with it, or how long this would continue.”

It went on longer than what anyone expected. For six weeks, they tried to keep up with the demand. At one point, Windon remembers, the guild had a backlog of requests for over 20,000 gallons that had to be filled. And with 90% of the Distilling’s staff laid off, it became the responsibility of Windon and her partners to roll up their sleeves and “work 24/7 just as if we were starting a new business.”

With such a tremendous need, there was, of course, no extras to go around, despite the many calls they were receiving from the public. But two weeks ago, it all changed. The Distilling company is still making hand sanitizers, but they now have enough to sell to the private consumer, whether it’s an individual or a business preparing to reopen.

“Now anybody that needs it can contact us,” says Windon. “A business owner said to me the other day, ‘Oh man, I can’t find hand sanitizer, and when I did, it was $60 a gallon.’ And I said, ‘you know I make it, and it’s $35 a gallon.’ That’s been a mission of ours since the very beginning when we started this. We, along with many of our fellow distillers in Maryland, have worked to help correct price gouging and to provide something that was needed at a fair price. That’s just hugely important to us as a company.”

But don’t expect to see the personal-sized bottles. The company only sells one-gallon containers. And don’t expect to just be able to run into the distillery and pick one up. All transactions are done through email, with pickup by appointment at the showroom or their booth at the farmer’s markets.

At this point, Windon plans on continuing to make hand sanitizers as long as it’s needed and is proud of her company’s role in this unexpected opportunity. They won’t, however, be branding it into the Windon family of products. “If you look at our bottles, they have the FDA label. It’s very simple and clean. It’s a functional refill of an essential item, and it would be awful to stop making it when people in our community need it. When that need ceases, and when the calls and emails stop coming in, we’ll stop making it.”

She was also quick to confirm her real passion. “I don’t want a hand sanitizer business. I like making rum. I mean, that’s what we do here. Out of necessity, this booze factory is temporarily a hand sanitizer factory.”

This is a relief to the many Lyon fans, who had worried that the company might run out of rum. “Luckily, she said, “this is our seventh year in business, and we had a pretty good stock of the rum inventory and other spirits going into this. We stopped spirit production for about seven weeks to concentrate on the hand sanitizers.”

This past week the distillery started doing fermentations and making rum again. Their partner, Grey Wolf Distilling, has also begun distilling their vodka line. “But of course, like any business right now,” says Windon, “we’re not jumping back into full manufacturing because we simply don’t know what’s to come and what the demand will be. We’re just beginning to see our normal business start to come back. We’re still about 75% down in sales, but just enough to start needing to refill the rum supply.”

Which is a surprising comment given that the liquor industry has been reported to be thriving right now. Says Windon that could not be further from the truth. “Craft distillers and craft breweries across the country, especially in Maryland, are suffering. They’re suffering because their tasting rooms are closed, and in-store liquor store tasting opportunities are gone. In Maryland, we’ve seen an average of about 75% reduction in sales and as much as 100% for some distilleries. My friends who have breweries tell terrible stories about having to dump beer that’s beginning to expire that wasn’t sold. Luckily spirits don’t expire, so we count our blessings where we can.”

With tasting rooms being a critical revenue source for craft breweries, will Windon expect a quick return to reopen? Not quite. “Out of safety and responsibility to my staff and my customers, I was one of the very first businesses to close my doors before the Governor mandated it. I anticipate that I’ll be one of the last businesses to fully open my doors once it’s legal as well, simply because I want to take things slow. Our distillery is about hospitality, about taking care of people, making people comfortable. And until the public feels a renewed sense of trust that it’s safe to be close to people, we are aren’t able to provide what we normally provide, which is seriously wonderful service with a smile. That’s the core of who we are, and until we can do that, there’s no reason for me to open the tasting room. And I’m not in a hurry to. I’m going to wait until it’s safe. I don’t know how long that’ll take, but we’ll be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just be doing things differently.”

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

Hogan Lifts Stay-at-Home Order Effective 5 P.M. Friday

May 14, 2020 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

Because of strides Maryland has made in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, the state will lift its stay-at-home order on Friday, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced Wednesday.

The move means most businesses can reopen and churches can hold services — both at limited capacity.

But Hogan cautioned that the adoption of “Stage 1” of the state’s reopening plan depends on residents wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

And he acknowledged that several of the state’s largest jurisdictions will not move into reopening mode at the same time as lesser-populated communities, due to elevated coronavirus infection levels.

“We are going about this in what we believe to be a safe way,” he told reporters at a late afternoon State House news conference.

“A lot of it depends on how everyone treats this first phase. If everybody goes crazy and does things that are unsafe, we’re going to balloon back up and slow down the process.”

Beginning Friday, at 5 p.m.:

• Most retailers can reopen at 50% capacity, provided customers abide by social distancing precautions and wear masks;

• Barber shops and hair salons can open at 50% capacity; and on an appointment-only basis

• Churches can hold services at 50% capacity

• Manufacturing plants can reopen if workers can be spaced sufficiently apart and wear masks, and if high-touch surfaces are kept clean

• Maryland bars and restaurants remain limited to carry-out orders.

Hogan said the move into Phase 1 of what he’s dubbed the “Roadmap to Recovery” was endorsed unanimously by the public health experts with whom he has been consulting.

“Maryland has achieved the 14-day trend of plateauing and declining numbers,” of hospitalization and ICU rates, he said.

In reality, the 12 highest days of total hospitalizations since the pandemic began occurred in the last 15 days. The reduction in total hospitalizations, to the extent the state has seen one, has come in the last 72 hours.

As of Wednesday, Maryland has had 34,812 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, a jump of 751 from the day before.

The state reported 51 deaths Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,694.

Hogan said suburban Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia “are the hotspots in the country, behind New York.”

Hogan has been under growing pressure from GOP lawmakers and the business community to ease restrictions. Unemployment has spiked and many business owners have said they are at risk of failure.

Christine Ross, president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, said the organization is “grateful that the day has come to begin moving into the first phase of economic recovery.”

The governor stressed that day-to-day life will continue to be affected by the pandemic. Maryland’s stay-at-home order is being replaced by a “safer-at-home” guideline. Hand-washing is strongly advised.

“It does not mean that we are safe or that this crisis is over,” Hogan said. “Low-risk does not mean no-risk.”

He encouraged businesses to use curbside pickup and delivery to reduce interaction between customers and store employees. He said workers who can telework should do so. And he urged people — particularly the elderly and those with health conditions — to avoid crowds.

With schools closed, many workers will soon find themselves in a child-care bind. Hogan said State Superintendent of Schools Karen B. Salmon will announce a daycare plan “early next week.”

“Like the governor, I am hopeful that this stage will go well and we can quickly open other businesses,” Talbot County Council President Corey Pack said in a statement. “But we must continue to take precautions to keep our residents, businesses, and workers safe.”

Talbot County Health Officer Dr. Fredia Wadley agreed.

“The COVID-19 virus is more dangerous now. But we are confident that by using some simple preventive measures we can slow the spread of this virus,” Wadley said. “We will continue to do everything we can to keep Talbot County safe and to work with our businesses so they can operate in a safe and effective way.”

Though the governor’s Stage I reopening plan offers a hope to Talbot County’s business community, Emergency Services Director Clay Stamp said we still have a long way to go before daily lives return to normal.

“We must continue promoting the use of safety measures for both individuals and our businesses to ensure a balance between getting people out but in a safe manner and helping some of our businesses and their teams get back to work,” he said. “We must remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Talbot County had 63 cases and one death as of Wednesday afternoon.

Prince George’s and Montgomery counties account for half of the state’s 34,812 infections, and local leaders in those counties have said they will not relax restrictions on business and social gatherings.

Baltimore County has 12% of the state’s case count and Baltimore City has 10%.

In a joint statement on Wednesday evening, County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (D) and Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young (D) also signaled that those two jurisdictions would also likely lag behind the rest of the state.

“For the Baltimore region to safely move into all of Phase One, we need more access to personal protective equipment, as well as increased testing capacity and more robust contact tracing,” they wrote.

“We’ve seen some progress in each of these areas, but we have to do even more.”

Young and Olszewski said they would take “a close look” at Hogan’s actions and determine their course in the next 24 hours.

“We acknowledge that this will not be welcome news to all of our residents,” the leaders said. “Individuals and businesses continue to make real sacrifices, and those sacrifices are preventing the spread of a deadly virus. However, rushing to reopen in our large, densely populated jurisdictions jeopardizes the lives of our neighbors and loved ones.”

The leaders of Howard County and Anne Arundel County also reacted with caution to Hogan’s announcement.

“Howard County does not meet many of the criteria that the Governor outlined in his four building blocks to reopen,” County Executive Calvin Ball (D) said in a statement.

In a statement on Twitter, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) said he would review the provisions of Hogan’s recommendations with local officials and make decisions on how to proceed “in the coming days.”

Dr. George Askew, the top health adviser to Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D), told the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments on Wednesday that a number of factors are forcing Prince George’s to retain current restrictions.

Among them: the large number of “imported” infections from outside the county, the high number of “essential” workers who are at greater risk generally, and the disproportionate toll the virus has taken on people of color.

“While the rest of the state may continue to reopen, we have to take a measured and smart approach,” Askew said.

Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D) issued a statement on Wednesday night saying that even though “our situation is improving,” the county will not reopen immediately.

These are the retailers that can partially reopen on Friday: Animal adoption shelters, art galleries, bookstores, car washes, clothing and shoe stores, florists, furniture stores, jewelers, lawn and garden stores, pawn shops, pet groomers, sporting goods stores, and tobacco and vape shops.

Even with Hogan’s announcement, the group ReOpenMD has a picket scheduled for Friday afternoon in downtown Annapolis, which it is calling “a peaceful assertion of our ‘right to protest’ Gov. Hogan’s lockdown and civil liberties violations.”

By Bruce DePuyt

Hogan, Harris Clash on Pace of Reopening

May 4, 2020 by Maryland Matters 5 Comments

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) on Sunday rejected as “crazy” a suggestion from Maryland’s lone Republican congressman that the state has adopted a totalitarian approach to fighting COVID-19.

His comments came one day after Rep. Andrew P. Harris, a physician who represents the Eastern Shore and portions of Baltimore, Harford, and Carroll counties, harshly rejected the governor’s handling of the crisis at a #ReOpenMaryland rally on Saturday.

Speaking to a crowd of protesters in Salisbury, at the conclusion of a rally that began in Frederick, Harris said, “I didn’t wake up in communist China and I didn’t wake up in North Korea this morning. And tomorrow morning I should be able to go to the church of my choice and worship the way I chose.”

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Hogan fired back.

“I’m not sure where he woke up yesterday morning, but maybe he confused North Korea and South Korea,” the governor said of Harris. “South Korea’s doing a great job on testing and we just saved the lives of thousands of Marylanders by getting those half-million tests from Korea.”

“But I don’t really have any further comment,” Hogan added. “He’s obviously got the right the right to say whatever crazy things he wants to say, but I don’t really need to respond to ‘em.”

In a statement to Maryland Matters on Sunday night, Harris defended his comments at the rally.

“Defending freedom of religion is not crazy to many people,” Harris wrote. “There were hundreds of people in Salisbury yesterday … who want a common sense approach to re-opening our churches and businesses that so many other governors have taken.”

Hogan spoke dismissively of Saturday’s ReOpen Maryland rally, telling CNN that “a couple dozen people” attended the event. “Sadly, we had far more people die yesterday in Maryland than we had protesters.”

Harris said Hogan’s statement was factually false.

The Maryland Department of Health reported an additional 27 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday.

“[F]actually many more protested than those who died in Maryland yesterday, each of which, of course, is a tragedy,” the congressman said.

The Frederick News-Post reported that 250 cars gathered in the parking lot of Francis Scott Key Mall on Saturday to participate in the rally.

The Salisbury area, located in Harris’ district, is home to one of the highest per-capita infection rates in the country.

Hogan has come under increasing pressure to dial back restrictions on commerce and social interaction in recent weeks.

On April 17, Republicans in the House of Delegates urged him to adopt a “regional” approach to business reopening and recreational activity. The following week business groups pushed him to allow small retailers to do “curbside” deliveries.

The group ReOpen Maryland formed on Facebook and held a rally in Annapolis on April 18, demanding that the governor allow businesses to reopen on May 1.

Hogan has said that reopening the state too soon risks a sharp increase in coronavirus infection, which in turn could overwhelm hospitals.

Although they are GOP officeholders in a state dominated by Democrats, Hogan and Harris have little in common. The men are not close.

The congressman’s decision to serve as the keynote speaker at the ReOpen Maryland rally, and his harsh rhetoric, combined with Hogan’s barbed response on national television, represented a remarkable substantive and stylistic clash, observers said.

“When you’re criticizing Hogan’s response, you’re also criticizing the recommendations of scientists, public health experts and epidemiologists,” said Goucher College political science professor Mileah Kromer, director of the school’s Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center.

“Andy Harris has aligned himself with Donald Trump consistently and Hogan has not,” she added.

Kromer noted that Maryland residents have given Hogan high marks for his handling of the coronavirus epidemic.

By Bruce DePuyt

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