Maryland is moving into its second phase of reopening, starting 5 p.m. on Friday.
Gov. Larry Hogan announced at a press conference on Wednesday that several more types of non-essential businesses can begin reopening.
Those include:
● Manufacturing
● Construction
● Retail
● Specialty vendors
● Wholesalers
● Warehouses
● Offices
● Financial institutions
● Technology firms
● Auto dealerships
● Insurance agencies
● Nail salons
● Tanning salons
● Tattoo parlors
● Massage parlors
The personal service businesses — nail and tanning salons, and tattoo and massage parlors — may reopen at 50% capacity and by appointment only. They have to follow strict safety protocols as well, including encouraging employees and customers to wear masks.
Hogan also encouraged business owners to check employees’ temperatures and stagger shifts.
As Maryland has moved through its first few phases of reopening after months of restrictions related to COVID-19, the state’s largest jurisdictions, which have had the bulk of the state’s cases and deaths, have held back.
Montgomery County was the last jurisdiction to commit to a first phase of reopening. Its first phase, which allowed outdoor in-person service by restaurants, started Monday.
Retail stores are now allowed to do business through curbside service. Others allowed to reopen were child care services for essential employees, hair salons and barber shops, car washes, manufacturing, outdoor day camps, and youth sports programs.
All of the businesses and amenities have conditions they must follow.
On Wednesday, the county had met six of its nine reopening benchmarks.
It has not set a timetable for advancing to other phases, including allowing more nonessential businesses to resume operations, as Hogan laid out on Wednesday.
On Monday, state government agencies will begin to return to normal operations. Agencies that work directly with the public will begin a phased reopening.
Normal transit schedules will begin to return and more child care centers will be allowed to reopen to allow parents to return to work.
Hogan said anyone who can work remotely should still do so.
“Just because Marylanders can return to the office doesn’t mean that they should,” he said at the press conference. “Employees who can telework should continue teleworking whenever possible. Safety must remain a top priority for every single business in our state.”
Other outdoor amusement, fitness, sporting and other activities could reopen soon if the state continues to see positive trends. Hogan said those could likely coincide with the end of the school year.
Hogan said all 24 jurisdictions can enter phase two, but also may make decisions with their own discretion.
Election problems
At the press conference, Hogan also addressed statewide issues with ballots in Tuesday’s primary election.
“Thousands of Marylanders either did not receive their ballots or received erroneous or late ballots,” he said. “All of this is completely unacceptable. The most basic responsibility of the [State Board of Elections] is ensuring that free and fair elections are conducted accurately. There were obviously significant failures. There are questions that need to be answered.”
Hogan said he has called on the state elections administrator, Linda Lamone, to provide a complete report no later than July 3. He also requested that the Maryland General Assembly to begin oversight hearings to determine what caused the “failures” and how they can be corrected.
“We are going to take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that those who are responsible correct these problems,” he said.
Hogan said there was a “serious lack of leadership” and “tremendous problems” with how the election was handled.
Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford and Comptroller Peter Franchot have both called for Lamone to resign because of ballot problems and misreported results.
Montgomery County had long lines of people trying to vote in person hours after the polls were supposed to have closed. Initial results were posted hours after they were scheduled to made public.
Some Montgomery County residents reported problems in getting their ballots when they were supposed to arrive.
The state and a vendor it hired to create and distributed ballots have blamed each other for the problems.
Hogan said Lamone cannot be “fired” because by law, she doesn’t report to him, the legislature or the state Board of Elections.
“Nobody has the ability to fire her, which is a terrible mistake,” he said.
Hogan said he would encourage state lawmakers to change the law so the state Board of Elections can “decide what to do about the administrator.”
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media