The change comes after a seven-day surge in coronavirus cases.
As of this week, indoor dining at restaurants and bars will be scaled back to 50% capacity. The mandate comes from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in response to a seven-day surge in coronavirus cases in the state.
“We cannot afford to ignore these trends and patterns,” Hogan said.
Further, the Maryland Department of Health has issued a new public health advisory that strongly warns against gatherings of more than 25 people. All state employees who are approved for telework (non-essential and non-front-facing services) are mandated to work remotely. And finally, the health department, through an emergency order, will provide staffing, clinical, and alternative care site support for nursing homes.
Marylanders crushed the curve once, and we can and will do it again with your help.
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) November 11, 2020
Learn how you can join the fight against COVID-19: https://t.co/cazTWMTGQu
A virus resurgence
Hogan reports widespread community transmission just in the last week. Taking an average of Maryland's jurisdictions, the state has a coronavirus case rate of 19.8 per 100,000 residents—a 36% increase from last week.
Contract-tracing data suggests that family gatherings are the most common activity among the recently-infected. Other big risk factors include dining indoors and traveling out-of-state.
The Republican governor warned against "COVID fatigue," saying:
“I just want to remind the people of Maryland that we have come too far and the stakes are too high. This virus does not care if you’re tired of it. It does not care if you have holiday plans. It doesn’t care who you voted for. And it will not let us move on just because we all desperately want to get back to our normal pre-COVID lives.”
Dr. Ted Delbridge, head of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, explained that new restrictions come in anticipation of worse winter months:
“We’re concerned that December, January, and February are going to be the peak times and dependent on the mitigating steps that the public takes — things like wearing a mask and keeping a distance,” Delbridge said.
What are your thoughts on the developing virus situation? Leave a comment!
