Updated: Hogan Issues Stay at Home Order for Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBOC/CBS)- Gov. Larry Hogan has issued a “stay at home” order for Maryland, effective at 8 p.m. Monday, March 30.

Hogan said the region around the nation's capital, which includes Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, has reached “a critical turning point in the fight to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“No Maryland resident should be leaving their home unless it’s for an essential job or an essential reason such as obtaining food or medicine, seeking urgent medical attention or for other necessary purposes,” Hogan said in a Monday morning press conference. “In addition, only essential businesses are allowed to remain open in Maryland. And those businesses must make every effort to scale down those operations in order to reduce the number of required staff, to limit in-person interactions with customers as much as they are able to and to institute telework for as much of staff as is practical.”

Maryland on Monday reported 1,413 COVID-19 cases, which according to Hogan, is a 379% increase in the past week in the state. Hogan also said the number of deaths triped from five to 15 over the weekend. 

Additionally, the governor said residents should reschedule all nonessential appointments. 

“We are no longer asking or suggesting that Marylanders stay home," Hogan said. We are directing them to do so.”

Hogan said anyone who knowingly and willfully violates his order is guilty of a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in prison or a fine up to $5,000.

The governor also said no Marylander should travel outside the state unless it is absolutely necessary. Anyone who returns to Maryland after traveling must self-quarantine for 14 days. Hogan also said no one should be using public transportation unless they are essential personnel.

During his press conference, Hogan noted an outbreak at the Pleasant View Nursing Home, where 67 residents have tested positive and a man in his 90s has died. The governor said 27 members of the Mount Airy facility's staff are experiencing symptoms. The facility was rated “much below average” by Medicare largely due to staffing.Hogan also noted an outbreak at the Pleasant View Nursing Home, where 67 residents have tested positive and a man in his 90s has died. The governor said 27 members of the Mount Airy facility's staff are experiencing symptoms. The facility was rated “much below average” by Medicare largely due to staffing.

“The most frightening one today is this nursing home situation in Carroll County, because we've got 67 positives, but there are smaller outbreaks in a number of places around the state that are of concern that are in senior centers or nursing homes or with staff at hospitals or people in sensitive locations,” Hogan said. 

The governor also noted an outbreak at the at the Clifton T. Perkins psychiatric hospital in Howard County. 

Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association, also said he will be holding a teleconference call with the White House and other governors around the nation. He said governors will continue pressing for scarce supplies to fight the virus, such as personal protective gear.

“I spent the weekend talking to people at the federal level, also pushing to get some of these supplies everywhere we can find them on the open market and around the world not just here domestically, but there simply are not enough of all of these things, which is the greatest tragedy of this crisis,” Hogan said. 

Hogan also said he will continue pressing the federal government to designate the region around the nation's capital as a priority location for a federally supported virus testing site.  

"The Washington region is where national leaders are actually fighting this battle for the nation, and this region is about to be hit with the virus in the same way that some other major metropolitan areas have been,” Hogan said.

While it took nearly three weeks for the region to go from zero to 1,000 cases, Hogan said it took just three days for the region to more than double from 1,000 to more than 2,500 cases.

COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland

Number of Confirmed Cases: 1413

Number of negative test results: 13,316

Number of Deaths: 15

Hospitalizations: 353 ever hospitalized

Released From Isolation: 43

Cases by County:

Cases by Age Range and Gender:

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