MARYLAND - Pushing forward his goal of a statewide return to in-person instruction, Governor Larry Hogan announced Wednesday a new executive order aimed at clarifying mitigation protocols to ensure safe re-openings. The order includes mandatory mask wearing for students, staff, and faculty within all areas of school properties including classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, gyms, and auditoriums.
Also emphasized was the need to stay on top of the spread of new COVID variants. To do this, the state is joining forces with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. A move Governor Hogan says will greatly advance screening efforts.
The Governor confidently shared the partnership's potential saying "this enhanced capacity will enable us to screen and sequence over 10% of all COVID-19 cases giving Maryland one of the strongest programs in America doing 300% more than the nation as a whole and if Maryland were a country it would rank us 6th in the world in terms of percent of cases being sequenced".
Keeping up momentum with vaccinations is another goal for Maryland. The state thus far has administered over 1.1 million doses and used more than 99% of Federally supplied doses. Mass vaccination sites are on the way with one soon to open at M&T Bank stadium. Governor Hogan said that in the coming weeks one is also set to open on the Eastern Shore, but did not specify when or where that will take place.