Maryland’s economy could begin to reopen early next month, governor says

Reopening will happen when hospital visits decline, he says

April 24, 2020 8:09 p.m.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday that the state’s economy could begin to open early next month, starting with the opening of some small businesses and recreational activities. But it will depend on whether coronavirus cases in the state begin to plateau.

Hogan said in a press conference Friday that the state’s recovery efforts could begin when the number of daily COVID-19 cases stops increasing and there is a fall in the number of patients hospitalized and admitted to intensive care units.

Cases of the virus were still increasing in the state on Friday morning, with more than 16,000 recorded, including 3,227 in Montgomery County.

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However, both the county and the state are seeing a dropoff in the percentages in their daily increases.

The daily increase in the number of cases statewide was often in the 20s or 30s at the end of March. It tapered down into the teens in early April, then into single digits the last two weeks.

In Montgomery County, the daily percentage increase in cases was in the 20s in late March, then the teens for most of the next two weeks. It has been roughly single digits the last two weeks.

Under the federal guidance from the White House, Hogan said, Maryland wouldn’t yet reopen the economy or lift social distancing restrictions. But it could happen in phases next month depending on when hospitalizations and visits to the intensive care unit decrease.

The White House has recommended that there be a downward trend over a 14-day period in the number of cases as a sign that the spread of the disease is weakening.

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“When we start to see that downward trajectory or the trajectory of those metrics, we could see the lifting of the stay at home order,” he said.

Hogan said a one- or two-day increase in the midst of 14 days would not reset the clock — the trend would still be intact.

The recovery effort would happen in three phases, Hogan said.

  • Phase 1 would include the lifting of the stay-at-home order, the reopening of some small businesses, retail shops, golf courses and other recreational activities. Elective outpatient surgeries in certain counties might be able to resume and some local governments could reopen. Outdoor religious gatherings could resume.
  • Phase 2 would include the reopening of more businesses and nonessential workers could return to work. Some restaurants and bars could reopen on a case-by-case basis and crowd-size limits on social gatherings could increase. Indoor religious gatherings could also resume.
  • Phase 3 would include the allowance of larger social gatherings, the reopening of entertainment venues and the lifting of restrictions at hospitals and nursing homes.

“Each of these recovery stages will need to be instituted in a safe, gradual and effective manner,” Hogan said. “If we try to rush this, and we don’t do it in a thoughtful and responsible way, it could cause a rebound of the virus, which could deepen the economic crisis, prolong the fiscal problems and slow our economic recovery.”

Hogan reiterated Friday that the recovery will depend on four factors: the expansion of testing capability, an increase in hospital surge capacity, more contact tracing and the acquiring of more personal protective equipment.

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He announced earlier in the week that 500,000 new test kits had arrived from South Korea, and that the state had increased its contact tracing operations. As of Thursday, Montgomery County had not heard details about how many of the 500,000 test kits it might get, according to Dr. Travis Gayles, the county’s health officer.

“Having these four building blocks, or pillars, in place gives us the infrastructure to attack this virus from every direction,” Hogan said.

“I’m optimistic that if Marylanders stay at home and continue practicing physical distancing, the numbers will plateau further.”

Hogan, however, said that the state can’t simply “flip a switch” and that life would not immediately be able to return to normal.

Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media

Managing Editor Andrew Schotz contributed to this story.

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For other Bethesda Beat coverage of the coronavirus, click here.

To see a timeline of major coronavirus developments in Maryland and Montgomery County, click here.

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