ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Larry Hogan provided an update on Maryland’s ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Hogan said Maryland will remain paused on any further reopenings and won't move into Stage 3 until it is safe and backed by the data to move forward.
The expansion of the statewide mask order in Maryland was also issued.
Effective Friday, July 31 at 5pm, face coverings will be required in the public spaces of all businesses across the state and in outdoor public areas where distancing is not possible.
Hogan announced as well that the Maryland Department of Health has issued a travel adivisory and Marylanders should avoid travel to states with positivity rates of 10% or higher.
These states include:
- Florida
- Texas
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Arizona
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- Nebraska
- Idaho
The public health advisory applies to personal, family, or business travel. Anyone traveling to or from these states should get tested and self-quarantine.
Hogan says Maryland is at a fork in the road – a critical turning point where the state could either continue making progress, or could ignore the warnings and spike back up like much of the rest of the country.
56% of new COVID-19 cases in Maryland are people under 40, according to Hogan and the uptick in hospitalizations are mostly among younger people.
