Mask Mandate Criticism Draws Response From Anne Arundel County Executive

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said he "won't shrink away" from critics in his defense of the local mask mandate.

Pittman on Tuesday acknowledged that the emergency orders may hurt his re-election bid. He said, however, that safety is his top priority as the omicron variant of coronavirus surges and COVID-19 patients overwhelm hospitals.

The Democratic county executive also questioned the motives of the Republicans who voted against the face covering requirement.

"I’m often told by keyboard activists from the far right that my commitment to slow the spread of this virus in our county will cost me the next election, a risk I take willingly," Pittman said in an open letter that was also posted in the Capital Gazette. "I won’t shrink away from the debate over the obligation of government to protect its people."

Debate Over Masks

The county executive restored an indoor mask mandate and a state of civil emergency on New Year's Eve. Those executive orders expired last Friday.

The County Council could have extended those health orders with five votes. Only four of the seven council members supported continuations, however.

Every Democrat voted in favor of the face covering requirement and the state of emergency. All three Republicans voted against the motions. Neither action would have restricted business capacities or limited social gatherings.

"What the hell is going on with the Anne Arundel County Republican Party?" Pittman said. "This county’s Republican Party used to represent fiscal conservatism and a healthy disdain for excessive regulation. It has recently become so ferociously opposed to delivering the basic functions of local government that its leaders are no longer capable of managing the public institutions that they malign."

About two hours after their vote, Anne Arundel's top doctor overrode the lawmakers and restored the mask mandate.

County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman issued a public safety order requiring residents older than 2 to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces and outdoor areas where distancing is not possible. This declaration will last until Jan. 31 or until he lifts the ruling, whichever is sooner.

Kalyanaraman, an appointed official, said state law grants him the power to issue this declaration because the county is in a health crisis. Opponents said the law that Kalyanaraman cited does not apply here because the pandemic is no longer a new threat.

The COVID-19 restrictions of 2020 frustrated the Republican State Central Committee of Anne Arundel County. In a newsletter and a fundraising callout the day before the vote, the party advocated against restoring any restrictions.

"Two-thirds of the county have received a vaccine, there are treatments now that we did not have then, and the current variant has been reported as being milder than ones the past," the GOP said.

While Republicans opposed any new rules, other residents favored the regulations. A total of 540 local businesses responded to the county executive's recent coronavirus questionnaire. Nearly 67 percent of them supported a mask mandate, Pittman said.

More than 1,750 residents sent testimony to the County Council before last week's seven-hour meeting. About 75 percent of those commenters wanted to extend the face covering requirement, the county executive said.

Battling COVID-19 Statewide

Maryland took additional mask and state-of-emergency actions this month. Gov. Larry Hogan on Jan. 3 restored the face covering requirement in state government buildings. He also declared a 30-day state of emergency on Jan. 4. This let him activate the Maryland National Guard to meet the rising demand for coronavirus tests.

The governor did not, however, reinstitute a statewide mask mandate or reimplement business capacity restrictions.

Local governments are free to adopt more restrictive guidelines, but they may not be more lenient than the state. Other areas that currently have temporary indoor face covering orders include:

• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Frederick County
• Howard County
• Montgomery County
• Prince George's County

"The Baltimore County Council also has a seven-person council with three Republicans on it, and they put together a six-person supermajority in favor of a mask mandate," Pittman said. "Republican-led counties across the state are eagerly accepting state grants to combat this virus."

Along with emergency orders, Anne Arundel announced plans earlier this month to distribute 200,000 rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits. This batch will go to Anne Arundel County Public Schools and equity-driven organizations.

The county previously handed out 100,000 kits at several community centers. Residents claimed all these tests over the holidays. Ever since, locals have battled long lines and limited appointments at testing providers.

A new walk-up testing site at Anne Arundel Medical Center has alleviated some of that stress since it opened on New Year's Eve.

Still, the highly contagious omicron variant has surged, and COVID-19 patients have pushed the Annapolis hospital to its limits. The Anne Arundel Medical Center and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie have both exceeded their capacities.

Rising Metrics

Maryland's case rate is 195.76 new infections per day per 100,000 residents. The new maximum of 221.17 came Saturday. That was four times higher than the previous record of 53.39 set on Jan. 12, 2021. The case rate is also 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 is 25.45 percent. It 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. The positivity rate recently eclipsed its March 28, 2020 peak of 26.88 percent and set a new record of 29.98 percent on Jan. 5.

This omicron spike has helped fuel an increase in hospitalizations. Maryland's 3,462 patients on Tuesday were a new record compared to the previous peak of 1,952 on Jan. 11, 2021. There are now 3,428 coronavirus patients in the hospital. That's up from the recent minimum of 490 registered on Nov. 14, 2021 and the record low of 97 posted on July 1, 2021.

The state has reported 12,234 COVID-19 deaths.

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

Vaccine Update

A total of 4,315,402 Marylanders are fully vaccinated. The state's population is 6,177,224. About 97.36 percent of Maryland seniors 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 37.25 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 1,797,682 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.

Residents can book a vaccine or a booster by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling Maryland's multilingual call center at 855-MD-GOVAX (855-634-6829).

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