ANNAPOLIS, Md. (CBS/AP)- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday “urgently” called on local school systems to return to hybrid in-person learning by no later than March 1.
Hogan made the comments during a news conference with State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon at St. John’s College in Annapolis.
The governor said there was “no public health reason” to keep kids out of schools due to COVID-19, adding virtual learning could lead to significant learning losses, especially among students of color and those from low-income families.
If schools do not move toward some form of in-person learning, Hogan said the state will consider “every legal avenue at our disposal.”
The state’s health department issued new guidance on school reopening based on a number of factors.
Department of Health Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Jinlene Chan said reopening schools elsewhere has not appeared to have a significant effect on community transmission.
Chan stressed that while COVID-19 vaccines have begun to become available for educators and other school staff, reopening decisions should not be based on vaccination availability for or levels among staff.
State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon said recovery plans for hybrid and full in-person learning were approved at the state level in August and pushed schools to implement them immediately.
Parents who still want to continue with all-virtual learning should be able to do so, Salmon added.
COVID-19 Statistics in Maryland
Number of confirmed cases : 334,519
Number of persons tested negative : 2,749,627
Total testing volume : 6,578,575
Daily testing volume : 37,628
Number of confirmed deaths : 6,560
Number of probable deaths : 175
Currently hospitalized : 1,812
Acute care : 1,388
Intensive care : 424
Ever hospitalized : 30,498
Released from isolation : 9,459
Cases and Deaths Data Breakdown:
Parenthesis = Confirmed death, laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result
Asterisk = Probable death, death certificate lists COVID-19 as the cause of death but not yet confirmed by a laboratory test
NH = Non-Hispanic
By County
| County | Cases | Deaths | |
| Allegany | 5,993 | (170) | 1* |
| Anne Arundel | 30,847 | (418) | 15* |
| Baltimore City | 36,283 | (760) | 21* |
| Baltimore County | 44,944 | (1,051) | 31* |
| Calvert | 3,153 | (51) | 1* |
| Caroline | 1,693 | (14) | 0* |
| Carroll | 6,478 | (179) | 5* |
| Cecil | 4,523 | (94) | 2* |
| Charles | 7,412 | (137) | 1* |
| Dorchester | 1,899 | (27) | 0* |
| Frederick | 14,693 | (221) | 8* |
| Garrett | 1,741 | (56) | 1* |
| Harford | 10,541 | (190) | 4* |
| Howard | 13,744 | (191) | 6* |
| Kent | 964 | (28) | 2* |
| Montgomery | 55,531 | (1,212) | 44* |
| Prince George's | 64,355 | (1,166) | 27* |
| Queen Anne's | 2,218 | (32) | 1* |
| St. Mary's | 4,256 | (99) | 0* |
| Somerset | 2,127 | (26) | 0* |
| Talbot | 1,555 | (16) | 0* |
| Washington | 10,814 | (192) | 3* |
| Wicomico | 5,878 | (112) | 0* |
| Worcester | 2,877 | (69) | 1* |
| Data not available | (49) | 1* |
By Age Range and Gender
| Age/Gender | Cases | Deaths | |
| 0-9 | 15,952 | (2) | 0* |
| 10-19 | 31,195 | (5) | 1* |
| 20-29 | 61,261 | (31) | 1* |
| 30-39 | 58,110 | (67) | 6* |
| 40-49 | 51,318 | (189) | 4* |
| 50-59 | 50,476 | (505) | 23* |
| 60-69 | 33,924 | (1,024) | 17* |
| 70-79 | 19,304 | (1,663) | 32* |
| 80+ | 12,979 | (3,072) | 91* |
| Data not available | (2) | 0* | |
| Female | 175,452 | (3,179) | 86* |
| Male | 159,067 | (3,381) | 89* |
| Unknown | () | 0* |
By Race and Ethnicity
| Race/Ethnicity | Cases | Deaths | |
| African-American (NH) | 94,676 | (2,326) | 61* |
| Asian (NH) | 7,217 | (225) | 7* |
| White (NH) | 113,365 | (3,270) | 91* |
| Hispanic | 55,417 | (620) | 15* |
| Other (NH) | 15,665 | (66) | 0* |
| Data not available | 48,179 | (53) | 1* |
