ANNAPOLIS, Md.- Maryland schools will remain closed through May 15, it was announced Friday afternoon.
State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon made the announcement at a press conference with Gov. Larry Hogan.
“After extensive consultation with the State Board of Education and leading public health experts in the state. I am extending the closure of schools, through May 15,” Salmon said.
Commenting on what happens going forward, the superintendent said, “With regards to the remainder of the school year in the summer, we will use this time to examine every option and continue to develop a long-term plan for recovery,” Salmon added.
Maryland schools have been closed since March 13 and that closure was extended through April 24, with Friday's announcement extending the closure yet again.
Commenting on Friday's school announcement, Maryland State Education Association President Cheryl Bost released the following statement on behalf of the MSEA:
“This is the right decision for the safety and health of our students, educators, and state. Educators will continue to do our best for our students as together we navigate the challenges of crisis distance learning. We know that this type of learning is no substitute for in-person learning, and we will need to be thoughtful and serious about how we help students recover from this crisis.
"Recent weeks have magnified existing inequities—whether of technology access, food security, or otherwise—that our students face every day and that challenge their ability to succeed in school. We must come together to address these issues over the short- and long-term. Everyone’s safety is paramount, but we remain hopeful that educators and students will be able to spend time together again at their schools before this school year is over.”
COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland (as of Friday, April 17, 2020)
Number of Confirmed Cases: 11,572
Number of negative test results: 50,437
Number of Deaths: 425
Number of Probable Deaths: 69
Hospitalizations: 2,612 ever hospitalized
Released From Isolation: 736
Cases and Deaths Data Breakdown
Note: Parenthesis = Number of confirmed deaths
Asterisk = Number of probable deaths
NH = Non-Hispanic
By County
| County | Cases | Deaths | ||
| Allegany | 26 | (1) | ||
| Anne Arundel | 966 | (34) | 6* | |
| Baltimore City | 1,273 | (38) | 4* | |
| Baltimore County | 1,569 | (37) | 7* | |
| Calvert | 109 | (2) | ||
| Caroline | 28 | |||
| Carroll | 288 | (25) | 2* | |
| Cecil | 127 | (2) | ||
| Charles | 337 | (15) | ||
| Dorchester | 20 | (1) | ||
| Frederick | 525 | (23) | 7* | |
| Garrett | 4 | |||
| Harford | 176 | 6* | ||
| Howard | 475 | (10) | 1* | |
| Kent | 14 | (1) | ||
| Montgomery | 2,280 | (63) | 15* | |
| Prince George's | 2,966 | (77) | 10* | |
| Queen Anne's | 19 | (1) | ||
| St. Mary's | 100 | (1) | ||
| Somerset | 9 | |||
| Talbot | 14 | (1) | ||
| Washington | 116 | (1) | ||
| Wicomico | 103 | (1) | ||
| Worcester | 28 | |||
| Data Not Available | (91) | 11* |
By Age Range and Gender
| Age/Gender | Cases | Deaths | |
| 0-9 | 86 | ||
| 10-19 | 242 | ||
| 20-29 | 1,227 | (2) | |
| 30-39 | 1,882 | (8) | |
| 40-49 | 2,088 | (7) | |
| 50-59 | 2,287 | (24) | 3* |
| 60-69 | 1,710 | (68) | 9* |
| 70-79 | 1,171 | (87) | 13* |
| 80+ | 879 | (141) | 33* |
| Data Not Available | (88) | 11* | |
| Female: | 6,249 | (198) | 35* |
| Male: | 5,323 | (227) | 34* |
By Race and Ethnicity
| Race/Ethnicity | Cases | Deaths | |
| African-American (NH) | 4,301 | (166) | 16* |
| Asian (NH) | 252 | (13) | 1* |
| White (NH) | 2,681 | (137) | 40* |
| Hispanic | 1,357 | (17) | |
| Other (NH) | 429 | (12) | 1* |
| Data Not Available | 2,552 | (80) | 11* |
