Coronavirus Response: Hogan Previews Plan To Reopen Maryland Amid Pandemic
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Gov. Larry Hogan Thursday previewed his plans to gradually reopen Maryland amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The plans will be announced in detail during a press briefing Friday, and they rank types of businesses based on the risk they could pose, Hogan said in an interview with Politico.
"It's going to still be a while before we start to see anything that involves people being close together," the governor said. "They're kind of based on high-touch or low-touch, physical distancing — certain things. We will be able to get some kind of quality of life things back where people can get out of their homes, get outside, do things still in a safe way."
Hogan heads the National Governors Association, which also put out its own extensive "Roadmap to Recovery" this week.
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Hogan said Maryland is taking ideas from multiple state recovery plans, adding the state "has been working on this for three or four weeks with some of the smartest minds in the country."
The keys to reopening will involve expanding testing, more access to personal protective gear, extensive tracing of contacts of those who are positive, and expanding hospital beds, which have already been done across the state.
But the numbers have to go down first, and Maryland reported 962 more coronavirus cases and 49 more deaths Thursday. Although the number of people hospitalized in acute and ICU beds combined dropped by 27 patients to 1405 Thursday compared to Wednesday, Hogan has repeatedly said Maryland needs to see 14 days of declines.
"Unfortunately, we are still kind of gradually climbing and not able to get over that hump yet," the governor said.
Hogan also told Politico about dealing with President Trump, who repeatedly criticized him earlier this week.
"I try to be as fair and direct as possible. I say exactly what I think, and sometimes, that doesn't make the president happy," he said.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
