Will Hogan Shut Down Maryland Again

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a 30-twenty-four hours land of emergency to combat the current COVID-xix crunch in the state, where projections prove that hospitalizations could top 5,000.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a 30-day state of emergency to combat the current COVID-19 crunch in the state, where projections show that hospitalizations could top 5,000.

"From day one of the crisis. I accept told it to you direct, and so the truth is that the next four to vi weeks will be the most challenging time of the entire pandemic," Hogan said in a news conference Tuesday morning time.

More Maryland News
More Coronavirus News

"Our newest projections, equally of today, show that COVID hospitalizations could reach more five,000, which would be more than than 250% college than our previous top of i,952 concluding year."

In response, Hogan said he had enacted two executive orders, the get-go giving Maryland's Wellness Secretarial assistant authority to regulate hospital personnel, space and supplies.

That order allows the Maryland Section of Health the authority to establish additional alternate care facilities to assist hospitals and nursing homes and accost staffing shortages. In doing so, it will allow certain health care workers in Maryland to practice exterior the scope of their licenses.

During the country of emergency, Maryland will besides let "interstate reciprocity for wellness care licenses, inactive health care practitioners to practice without needing to reinstate their expired licenses and will authorize graduate nurses to provide full nursing services at any health care facility," Hogan said.

The second executive order authorizes the governor to "broaden" the state'south emergency medical services (EMS), which the Hogan says is overwhelmed by the electric current moving ridge of COVID patients.

"We are mobilizing 1,000 members of the Maryland National Guard to assist state and local health officials with the land's emergency pandemic response," Hogan said. "Approximately 250 members of the baby-sit will exist deployed to support COVID-19 testing sites across the state, including at hospitals and skilled nursing facilities and to assistance with patient ship as needed."

Hogan said, in add-on to current state-run sites, the National Baby-sit would assist in the opening of 20 additional testing sites outside of hospitals in order to proceed upwardly with electric current testing need and "divert people abroad from visiting hospital emergency rooms but to get a test." Maryland is opening xx new hospital-adjacent testing sites across the state.

Maryland also is authorizing booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds.

Hogan said he was scheduled to participate in a phone call with the White House on Tuesday. He said he would urge President Joe Biden's administration to increase the distribution of monoclonal antibodies, rapid COVID-19 tests and antiviral pills.

Hogan said people need to get back to taking stronger precautions as the omicron variant of COVID-nineteen surges by "avoiding crowds, keeping your distance, washing your hands and aye, wearing the damn masks."

The governor also said that he is "doing fine" after testing positive for COVID-xix last month. Hogan said he had a ten-day "staycation" in isolation in the basement of the governor's residence, where he worked and kept in bear upon with staff.

"For me, it was like a pretty bad cold, and that'south because I was fully vaccinated and boosted," Hogan said, equally he continued urging the unvaccinated to get shot and for eligible people to get boosters.

The governor also said he received monoclonal antibody treatment early on.

Hogan concluded his remarks by repeating an appeal for Maryland residents to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The single most important thing that you can do to protect yourself, your family unit and your fellow Marylanders from this virus and its variants, is to get fully vaccinated and to get a booster shot," Hogan said.

"Throughout all of 2021, nearly 75% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in Maryland were people who had not been fully vaccinated. Almost 84% of all our COVID hospitalizations for the entire year were people who were not fully vaccinated. And more 84% of the more than 4700 additional Marylanders who died from COVID-19 last twelvemonth, were non fully vaccinated. These are non opinions or judgments. These are indisputable facts."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Joshua Barlow

Joshua Barlow is a writer, composer, and producer who has worked for CGTN, Atlantic Public Media, and National Public Radio. He lives in Northeast Washington, D.C., where he pays attention to developments in his neighborhood, economic bug, and social justice.