Community Chat

[sunshine45]

happy to report that maryland will be moving into phase 3 on friday! hogan has been handling this with grace and intelligence. he is well aware that nothing is behind us and we must still be vigilant.

Phase Three:

All businesses in Maryland will be able to open under stage three, Hogan said. That includes movie theaters and live venues that have been shuttered since early in the pandemic. (50 percent capacity or up to 100 people at indoor venues or 250 people at outdoor venues)

Retail stores and houses of worship can now move from operating at 50 percent capacity to 75 percent capacity.

Maryland will be one of the first states in the country to provide some disease tracing services through a collaboration with Apple and Google.

 Maryland's health metrics, including a declining positivity rate and number of cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, meant Maryland could continue the reopening process.

Hogan is also encouraging a return to in person learning for our public school system.

Maryland's 24 jurisdictions can choose to apply more restrictive rules as necessary.

The virus’ peak in Maryland was on 4/17/2020. Since the statewide peak, hospitalizations are down 77%. Since July 25, Hogan says Maryland has seen a 30% decline in ICU levels. Maryland’s statewide positivity rate is 3.39%.

The state’s current unemployment rate is 7.6 percent and falling.

[golding76]

Governor Hogan is a true leader in every sense of the word.

Wish I were living back there at this time.  

Congratulations to the governor and all the citizens of Maryland who decided to follow his wise counsel.

ETA:  I'm embarrassingly jealous of your (Maryland's) positivity rate.  Ours in Virginia 6 point something or other.

[Porcelain]

I'm glad Maryland's safety measures have been working! Sounds like the whole state is doing a great job coming together. It is wonderful they're experiencing success.  May they keep up the great work.

This is a great example that it is worthwhile to cooperate with each other and endure the inconveniences being requested of us. There is a reward at the end.

[KarenQVC]

Good for you and for the gov.

[Witchy Woman]

@sunshine45 

I'm in Maryland and was happy to hear the news.

It will be interesting to see how "live entertainment" is handled.  We have tickets to several events at Ramshead Tavern in Annapolis, but they have been postponed.  Their indoor capacity is well beyond what will be allowed.

I suspect we will not be going no matter what.  I'm just not comfortable being indoors with any size crowd.  In a concert, especially.

The Governor has done a good job guiding the State, but I know his recent decision about schools upset a lot of people.  I'm thankful I don't have to worry about that, but sympathetic to all the parents who have been struggling for months.

Nevertheless, I'm hopeful we can maintain low numbers.

[sunshine45]

@FiddleDeeDee 

i am quite worried about the school situation (even though i dont have grade school aged children anymore) and YES......the boards of education and the counties have to work together to work on the best possible scenario. hogan has said he wants them reopened, now lets get our schools safe so that they can get back into the classrooms.....even if it is part time or on a rotating schedule.

i know a few young children that may fall so far behind because they dont have a support system at home to help them learn. the parents cannot help easily and there is no one around who can. who will be advocates for them when they have questions or problems? some of them have parents who work full time, others have parents who are not able to due to language barriers or from poor or no long term schooling themselves.

i am glad maryland is able to begin moving forward!

[Porcelain]

If back to school is up to the individual districts, and parents are able to choose ...and if there are plans that will actually be followed to protect students and step back to handle outbreaks...I'm very optimistic for Marylanders. If not, well...then they'll be back in the same soup as everyone else.

[FiddleDeeDee]

@sunshine45  It's absolutely pathetic that my post was removed for mentioning Hogan in one sentence that was directed to YOU. Just pathetic.

Yes, the school situation is bad, really bad. I was shocked to find that the county we lived in is doing roughly the SAME thing it did last semester when it comes on online teaching; ALL students will be far behind and those without any support will be roughly a year behind should schools reopen to a full day with everyone in class come Spring. I can't imagine what those who live in a county that was doing poorly BEFORE this nightmare began (and those were the counties Hogan discussed as not being bothered to come with ANY plan. Boy, was he TICKED when he spoke to the state).

I thought for sure they would have live, all day feed in place for this Fall semester; they don't. Considering how bad it was last Spring, it's shocking they didn't change any aspect of it. Wow, just wow.