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Maryland鈥檚 COVID-19 metrics have risen considerably in the two weeks since Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) eased restrictions on business activity and social gatherings.
The number of new infections has more than doubled since March 9, the day the governor gave the go-ahead, zooming from 631 new cases the day of his news conference to 1,335 on Sunday, a 112% increase.
The state Department of Health聽聽that there are COVID 970 patients in Maryland hospitals, up from 765 the day restrictions were lifted, an increase of nearly 27%.
And 19 of 23 counties 鈥� and Baltimore City 鈥� have positivity rates that are higher than they were nearly three weeks ago. More than half of Maryland鈥檚 counties have rates above 5%; on March 9, only one county 鈥� Charles 鈥� was above 5%.
Michael Ricci, a spokesman for Hogan said much of the increase 鈥� particularly in the Baltimore metropolitan region 鈥� can be traced to the travel-induced spread of the various COVID-19 variants that have popped up.
鈥淚 think we do need to be concerned about the variants,鈥� said Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard) on Friday, 鈥渂ecause what the evidence has shown is that these variants can be more contagious, and they鈥檙e more easily spread within the community.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e at a critical inflection point right now,鈥� added Lam, a public health physician.
Speaking on WAMU-FM鈥檚 鈥淭he Kojo Nnamdi Show,鈥� the lawmaker noted that the state鈥檚 infection rate is climbing despite the increase in vaccinations, 鈥渨hich means, potentially, some of these variants are actually gaining traction within our community.鈥�
贬辞驳补苍听聽on restaurants 鈥� both indoor and outdoor dining 鈥� with the caveat that tables be spaced at least six feet apart, effective March 12.
It also removed limits on retail businesses, religious facilities, casinos, fitness centers, hair and nail salons, and indoor recreational establishments 鈥� including bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls and skating rinks.
Social clubs also got the all-clear, subject to masking and distancing requirements.
Large facilities 鈥� including stadiums and race tracks, conference centers and convention halls, concert sites, wedding and banquet spaces, theaters and ballrooms 鈥� were allowed to open at 50% capacity.
Unlike some governors who lifted restrictions this month, Hogan ordered that mask orders and distancing requirements remain in place, something health experts have urged.
Business organizations cheered the governor鈥檚 action, and several counties moved to align themselves quickly with the state, though others took more limited steps.
But a leading health expert called the decision to reopen 鈥減remature.鈥�
滨苍听听飞颈迟丑听Maryland Matters, Joshua M. Sharfstein, vice dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said it would have been wiser to wait until the state鈥檚 vaccination program was further along and more is known about COVID-19 variants.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still a fair amount of virus in Maryland,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so close to getting a huge surge of vaccinations in this state and in this country. I think it鈥檚 better to go step-by-step, rather than one gigantic leap.鈥�
Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich (D), the head of the state鈥檚 largest subdivision, called Hogan鈥檚 decision聽聽and predicted it 鈥渨ill trigger another spike鈥� in infections.
The state鈥檚 7-day positivity rate is up 32% from March 9. The rate, which stood at 3.6%, was 4.7% on Sunday. Harford, Anne Arundel and Washington counties, which have largely followed the state鈥檚 easing of restrictions, are well above 6%.
When Hogan issued his order, the state鈥檚 numbers were falling, but he conceded that lifting restrictions was not risk-free.
鈥淭he virus can mutate. Things can change,鈥� he told reporters. But 鈥渨e believe it鈥檚 the right time 鈥� And it鈥檚 time to get our economy going.鈥�
Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis A. Gayles said on Friday that the increase in cases and hospitalizations isn鈥檛 getting the attention it should.
鈥淢agically, no one is talking about it from the state perspective,鈥� he told聽Maryland Matters. 鈥淎ll of these [increases] have happened following the decision to open up more stuff.鈥�
