No More Masks In State Government Buildings, Hogan Announces As COVID Continues To Improve

MARYLAND — Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that he will soon lift his mask mandate for state government buildings.

Face coverings will no longer be required in state offices starting Feb. 22. Masks will still be strongly recommended for employees and visitors who are unvaccinated.

“Given the dramatic declines in our health metrics, we are now able to take another step toward normalcy in state operations,” Hogan said in a news release, noting that Maryland has the best coronavirus case rate in the country.

The governor is now focused on ending the mask mandate in public schools. Hogan on Thursday urged the Maryland State Board of Education to make face coverings optional.

This week, the governor asked parents to share their opinions with the board before its next meeting. Hogan expects the officials to lift their mask mandate "in the next week or so."

The state has also renewed its push for booster shots.

Hogan last Tuesday announced $2 million in Maryland Lottery prizes for residents who have gotten the additional dose.

The governor again encouraged businesses to offer incentives for the booster. Maryland gives two hours of paid leave to state workers who get the extra shot.

“I want to thank all of our dedicated state employees for their tireless efforts that have helped make Maryland’s COVID-19 response a national model," Hogan said.

Battling The Omicron Variant

Hogan had reinstated the office face covering requirement on Jan. 3. He declared a state of emergency and activated the Maryland National Guard the next day.

This came as the highly contagious, but milder, omicron variant of the coronavirus led to a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

During the emergency, the governor opened new testing sites at hospitals to meet rising demand. Hogan also adjusted licensing requirements to make more medical workers available. He additionally distributed free N95 and KN95 masks, which offer the most protection.

The 30-day state of emergency ended Feb. 3.

Hogan never issued a new statewide mask mandate. The governor also did not limit business capacities or restrict social gatherings during this spike.

Jurisdictions such as Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County and Howard County said goodbye to their mask mandates this month. Harford County no longer requires face coverings in its government buildings either.

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

Improving Metrics

Maryland's case rate has fallen to 12.77 new infections per day per 100,000 residents. That's down from the all-time high of 221.17 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 3.77 percent, down from 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 low of 0.54 percent was recorded on June 28, 2021.

Maryland now has 751 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 13,666 COVID-19 deaths.

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

Vaccine Update

A total of 4,437,515 Marylanders are fully vaccinated out of a population of 6,177,224. About 98.04 percent of seniors, 95 percent of adults and 89.7 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 43.58 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 2,111,191 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:

• Face Masks In MD Schools Likely To Be Optional Soon: Gov. Hogan
• Masks In MD Schools: Hogan Urges State Board To Lift Mandate
• MD COVID: Hogan Announces $2M In Booster Shot Lottery Prizes
• COVID Crisis Plans Lifted At Luminis Health's Maryland Hospitals
• Free N95 Masks Available At MD Wegmans, Costco, Walgreens Soon

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