Mask Mandate Expires, COVID Metrics Improve In Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The Anne Arundel County mask mandate expired Monday. That means face coverings are no longer necessary in all establishments, but businesses can still choose to require masks for their patrons if they please.

Masks are still a must in county and state government buildings. Anne Arundel County Public Schools also require face coverings.

The news comes after a month of court battles and fighting the omicron variant of coronavirus. COVID-19 metrics have improved significantly, but they remain higher than their summertime lows.

"I want to thank all of our residents who continue to do the right thing by getting vaccinated, boosted and wearing masks when asked to do so," County Executive Steuart Pittman said on Facebook. "You are doing everything you can to help bring an end to this pandemic, so thank you."

The Baltimore County mask mandate also expired Monday. Howard County lifted its mandate the next day. Harford County no longer requires face coverings in its government buildings either.

Masks are still necessary in Baltimore City. Montgomery County extended its order until Feb. 21. The Prince George's County mandate will continue through March 9.

Overriding Mask Mandate Vote

Pittman restored an indoor mask mandate and a state of civil emergency on New Year's Eve. Those executive orders expired on Jan. 7. Neither action restricted business capacities or limited social gatherings.

The County Council could have extended the face covering requirement and the state of emergency with five votes. The proposals fell one vote short. All four Democrats supported continuations, and the three Republicans opposed them.

Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman stepped in about two hours after the vote and resumed the mask mandate. Kalyanaraman issued a public safety order requiring residents older than 2 to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces and outdoor areas where distancing was not possible.

Kalyanaraman's face covering order came as the omicron variant shook Maryland.

This surge led medical centers to initiate their emergency plans, called crisis standards of care, as they exceeded their capacities. The metrics have declined greatly, so the health officer no longer thinks the mandate is necessary.

Mandate Debated In Court

Kalyanaraman, an appointed official, said Section 18-208 of the Maryland Code grants him the power to require masks. That law tasks health officers with protecting residents when they have "reason to believe that a disease that endangers public health exists within the county."

Health officials should then "report immediately to the appropriate county board of health; ... investigate the suspected disease; and act properly to prevent the spread of the disease." Similar duties exist "when a health officer is notified of an infectious or contagious disease within the county." In this case, officers must also give Maryland's secretary of health an update within 24 hours.

Opponents thought this law only applies to new diseases because it uses timely phrases like "report immediately," "is notified" and "within 24 hours." COVID-19 has been in the county for two years, so they believed the law did not protect Kalyanaraman's mask mandate.

Two business owners took Anne Arundel County officials to court over the face covering order. The entrepreneurs, James Zimmerer and Pasquale Carannante, filed the litigation on Jan. 14.

The duo first asked for a temporary restraining order on the mask mandate. This would have paused the face covering rule until the court heard all the arguments.

A judge declined that motion on Jan. 19. That let the mandate continue until a Jan. 25 hearing.

In that meeting, opponents sought a preliminary injunction to halt the face covering requirement outright. The judge did not grant that injunction, allowing the mask mandate to continue through the end of January.

Zimmerer and Carannante listed the defendants as Pittman, Anne Arundel County and Kalyanaraman. The health officer was the main focus of the case.

The Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County heard the arguments. The case title was Pasquale Carannante, et al. vs. Steuart Pittman, Jr., et al. The case number was C-02-CV-22-000064.

"I want to thank the Court for again recognizing Dr. Kalyanaraman’s authority to issue this order under his powers as our Health Officer," Pittman said in a statement after the ruling. "It has accomplished what Dr. Kalyanaraman intended - flattening the curve of the omicron wave during a critical moment for our hospitals and healthcare workers."

Improving Metrics

Maryland's case rate has fallen to 37.91 new infections per day per 100,000 residents. That's down from the all-time maximum of 221.17 set on Jan. 8. The case rate is still above its recent minimum of 11.16 reported on Nov. 5, 2021 and its overall low of 0.9 recorded on June 25, 2021.

The state's positivity rate has dropped to 8.66 percent, which is better than the high of 29.98 percent on Jan. 5. The percent positivity was as low as 2.91 percent on Nov. 4, 2021. The all-time minimum of 0.54 percent was set on June 28, 2021.

Maryland now has 1,678 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That's an improvement from the peak of 3,462 patients on Jan. 11. Hospitalizations are still up from the recent low of 490 registered on Nov. 14, 2021 and the record minimum of 97 posted on July 1, 2021.

The state has reported 13,276 COVID-19 deaths.

Marylanders can get tested by visiting COVIDtest.maryland.gov.

Vaccine Update

A total of 4,392,690 Marylanders are fully vaccinated. The state's population is 6,177,224. About 97.82 percent of seniors, 94.6 percent of adults and 89 percent of residents 5 or older have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Maryland has also made some headway on the newest group eligible for the shot. About 42.09 percent of kids aged 5 to 11 have gotten their first injection since they were cleared for immunization in late October 2021.

The state has given 2,027,773 booster shots.

Maryland's infection and vaccine metrics are updated daily at coronavirus.maryland.gov.

Who's Eligible For First Doses

The Pfizer immunization is the only one with full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That clearance is good for residents 16 and up. Pfizer also has emergency use authorization for anybody aged 5 to 15 for their first two doses

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson inoculations have emergency use authorization for locals 18 and up.

Emergency use authorization requires less FDA review than full approval, which is the golden stamp of support from regulators.

Who's Eligible For Boosters

Residents 18 and up who got the Pfizer inoculation can get a booster shot of any kind five months after their initial two doses. Locals 12 to 17 who got the Pfizer must also wait five months, but they are only eligible for the Pfizer booster.

Locals 18 and up must wait six months after their Moderna injections or two months after their Johnson & Johnson vaccines to get a booster shot. Once that time passes, they can get any booster they want.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended getting the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster, not the Johnson & Johnson. Experts still urged locals to get Johnson & Johnson's extra dose if Pfizer and Moderna are not available.

Maryland's booster shot guidance is posted here. The graphic below clarifies who is eligible for a booster.

RELATED:

• Free N95 Masks Available At MD Wegmans, Costco, Walgreens Soon
• MD COVID-19 Hospitalizations Fall, Hogan Helps Medical Facilities
• White House To Distribute Free N95 Masks: Where To Get Them In MD
• Free COVID-19 Tests In MD: How To Get Them
• COVID-19 State Of Emergency In MD: Masks, Testing Ramp Up
• Insurance To Cover At-Home COVID Tests: How To Get Them In MD

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.