Maryland is adjusting its face mask requirement, and will begin requiring people to wear masks outdoors when they are out in public in an effort to prevent a spike in coronavirus cases, Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced Wednesday.
Starting July 31, Hogan said the state’s mask order will expand to anyone who is outdoors and cannot constantly be at least six feet away from others.
It will also include restaurants, houses of worship, gyms, casinos, shops, and office buildings.
Like the current order requiring masks to be worn in stores and on public transportation, the police will enforce the expanded order, and rape is considered a misdemeanor, subject to a maximum fine of $ 5,000 and up to one year of prison.
Individual counties in the state have been free to impose stricter requirements, and many have already done so.
Hogan said the measure was “factual, apolitical and solidly based on science.” While it can be inconvenient, especially in the heat, wearing a mask is the best mitigation strategy we have to combat the virus. “
Hogan also issued a travel notice, telling Maryland residents not to travel to states where the positivity rate is greater than 10 percent. However, unlike neighboring Washington DC, Hogan is not issuing a quarantine order for people traveling to those affected areas.
States currently in counseling include Florida, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, Nebraska, and Idaho.
Hogan advised anyone traveling to those states to get a coronavirus test and quarantine until the results return.
Hogan’s announcement comes when the rate of COVID-19 positive tests has recently increased.
It has remained below 5 percent for more than a month according to the state’s estimate, but Hogan described the current situation as a “fork on the road.”
“We can continue to progress and continue to move in the right direction, or ignore the warnings and rebound like much of the rest of the country,” he said.
Authorities said the seven-day average positivity rate was 4.77 percent, while Wednesday’s daily rate was 5.85 percent.
According to Johns Hopkins University, which uses a different measure, the seven-day average positivity rate is 5.8 percent.
Hospitalizations have also increased in recent weeks. After reaching a minimum of 386 patients two weeks ago, there were 571 patients reported to the hospital on Wednesday, with 126 in intensive care.
“We are concerned and we are closely monitoring hospitalizations. We have seen a 28 percent increase in the past two weeks,” Hogan said.
Hogan said the Trump administration on Tuesday identified 21 “Red Zone” states, and that Maryland was not one of them. She urged residents to continue wearing masks and not to be complacent.
“We have come too far to lose the progress we have made on the road to health and economic recovery,” he said.
Hogan said contact tracking data shows that the main activity of those who tested positive recently was attending family gatherings. The next highest on the list was house parties.
Bars and restaurants, on the other hand, “don’t seem to be a major part of the problem,” Hogan said, noting that capacity restrictions still exist and that customers should be seated only for table service.
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