If Trends Continue Next Week, Maryland Can Lift Stay at Home Order

If COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decrease and ICU stays continue to plateau into next week, Maryland will be ready to lift its Stay at Home order, Gov. Larry Hogan announced at a press conference Wednesday. 

“Over the past seven days we have seen a good trend in hospitalizations with five straight days downward and then a little bump up yesterday. But overall we are down slightly from where we were a week ago,” Hogan said.  

“Even more encouraging is that our ICU numbers have been basically flat, level at a plateau for eight straight days. If these trends continue into next week, we will be ready to lift the Stay at Home order and to begin stage one of our recovery plan.”

Stage one of reopening Maryland includes reopening some small businesses and starting lower risk activities like outdoor recreation and outdoor religious gatherings, Hogan announced on April 24. Local governments would have the flexibility to open recreation centers and libraries if they decide that public health guidelines could be followed.

Hogan: If downward hospitalization and plateaued ICU trends continue into next week, we will be ready to lift the Stay at Home order and start stage one of reopening Maryland.

— Maryam Shahzad (@maryam_mcm) May 6, 2020

Taking small steps already, Hogan announced that on Thursday at 7 a.m. activities like golf, tennis, recreational boating, fishing and camping will be allowed again. Hogan said state beaches, state parks and safe playgrounds will also open. Local governments can use their discretion to do the same.

“It will remain critical that you continue to follow public health guidance, continue to practice physical distancing, and most of all that you continue to take actions to keep yourself and your fellow Marylanders safe,” Hogan said.  

Elective medical procedures will now be allowed at the discretion of local hospitals and medical providers. The state exceeded its goal of adding 6,000 hospital surge beds and now has 8,100, including 2,400 ICU beds. The governor thanked Marylanders for doing their part to flatten the curve.

“It is thanks to all of you and your incredible sacrifices that we are making great progress, we are flattening the curve, and we are preparing to launch our reopening plan in order to safely get people back to work, safely get our small businesses back open again, to get our economy back on track so that Maryland and our nation can defeat this virus and come back stronger and better than ever,” he said. 

LIVE: COVID-19 Update – May 6, 2020

Live captioning is available on YouTube. https://t.co/YBClWUURs9

— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 6, 2020

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Montgomery County Recreation Facilities Remain Closed Until Further Notice

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

View all posts by Maryam Shahzad