Mask Mandate Returns: Anne Arundel Lawmakers Voted No, But Top Doctor Overturned Them

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel lawmakers voted to let the county's indoor mask mandate expire Friday, WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore reported. Officials also decided not to extend the local state of emergency.

The county's top doctor overrode their face-covering decision, however, and instituted a public safety order requiring masks. The new mandate calls for face coverings in indoor public spaces and outdoor locations where distancing is not possible. It applies to everybody above 2 years old.

This public safety order took effect Friday at 5 p.m., and the health official said it is legal under Maryland law. It will continue until Jan. 31 or until County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman cancels it, whichever is sooner.

"Wear the damn masks," County Executive Steuart Pittman tweeted. "Get vaccinated and boosted. Take these steps because they protect you and the people around you - the doctors and nurses overwhelmed by hospitalizations, the small business owner worried about customers staying away because of COVID transmission, the parents trying to protect their children from this virus."

Pittman reissued the mask requirement and the state of civil emergency on New Year's Eve. Pittman hoped these actions would combat the highly contagious omicron variant of coronavirus that has overwhelmed Maryland hospitals.

The one-week orders expired Friday at noon. Both measures could've continued with five votes from the County Council.

WBAL said four of the seven county council members supported extending the mask mandate. The same number also voted for the state of emergency. Both bills, therefore, fell one vote short of passing.

Kalyanaraman stepped in around 4:40 p.m. and resumed the face-covering requirement.

The virtual County Council meeting started at 8 a.m. and continued until about 3 p.m. More than 100 residents registered to testify, Capital Gazette journalist Dana Munro tweeted.

Munro said several mothers thought a mask mandate could protect children who are too young to get vaccinated. One restaurant owner opposed the face-covering rule because it caused conflicts at work.

The COVID-19 regulations of 2020 frustrated the Republican State Central Committee of Anne Arundel County. The party advocated against restoring any restrictions in a Thursday newsletter.

"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.

Battling COVID-19 Statewide

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

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

Local governments are free to institute 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

Along with emergency orders, Anne Arundel on Tuesday announced plans 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.

Rising Metrics

Maryland's case rate has skyrocketed to 208.33 new infections per day per 100,000 residents. The new maximum of 213.71 came Monday. That was four times higher than the previous record of 53.39 set on Jan. 12, 2021. The case rate is also well 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 up to 28.3 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 Wednesday.

This omicron spike prompted an increase in hospitalizations. Maryland's 3,208 patients are a new record compared to the previous peak of 1,952 on Jan. 11, 2021. The hospitalizations are also 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 11,868 COVID-19 deaths.

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

Vaccine Update

A total of 4,283,538 Marylanders are fully vaccinated. The state's population is 6,177,224. About 97.12 percent of Maryland seniors and 92.4 percent of adults 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 34.89 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 1,688,563 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.

Residents can book a vaccine by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling Maryland's multilingual call center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

RELATED:

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• Glen Burnie Boy, 10, Dies From COVID-19 Complications: GoFundMe
• Anne Arundel To Distribute 200K Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits
• Hospital Capacity In Anne Arundel County: See Latest Numbers
• COVID State Of Emergency Declared, National Guard Activated As Omicron Floods MD
• MD COVID: Mask Up In State Offices, Get Paid Leave For Booster
• Face Mask Mandate Reinstated By Anne Arundel, Annapolis Leaders
• Anne Arundel Schools Amend COVID Quarantine Rules As CDC Outlined
• Anne Arundel Medical Center To Open Free COVID-19 Testing Site
• COVID-19 Hospitalizations In MD Hit Record High, Along With Cases
• CDC Shortens Isolation, Quarantine Time: What It Means In MD

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