Protestors Gather In Annapolis To Reopen Maryland As Gov. Hogan Set To Lift Stay-At-Home Order At 5 PM
ANNAPOLIS (WJZ) -- Protestors with Reopen Maryland—who have bashed Gov. Larry Hogan's restrictions as unconstitutional—gathered in Annapolis Friday, angry that the governor is allowing some communities to remain under a stay-at-home order as they see fit.
One of those communities is Baltimore City where Mayor Jack Young pleaded with people to follow the restrictions he left in place unchanged—the strictest in the state.
"My main objective is the safety of the citizens of Baltimore. You heard me say deaths are rising," Mayor Young said during a press conference at the War Memorial Building downtown Friday afternoon.
Who's Open, Who's Closed: County-By-County Breakdown As Maryland Reopens
Chopper 13 was over the scene of the protestors gathering in downtown Annapolis earlier Friday afternoon.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announced officers would investigate any claims businesses and residences violating the city's continuing stay-at-home order.
"Members of the Baltimore Police Department will document the non-compliance through the use of our body-worn camera recordings. If and when we find scenarios of non-compliance, the BPD will consult with the city's Law Department to determine the violation," Commissioner Michael Harrison said.
The pandemic has been devastating to the economy. A line of people in need waited for food at a Catholic Charities drive-through—stretching for miles in Montgomery County—one of Maryland's wealthiest.
Some Maryland leaders were eager to open up as much as possible with the state's mandatory stay-at-home order now expired. They including Carroll, Harford, and Cecil Counties—where all retail can now open up at 50 percent of capacity and social distancing measures in place.
Cecil County's Executive called for the governor to allow restaurants to open for outdoor dining.
Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County and Howard County are among those jurisdictions relaxing some restrictions but stores still cannot open inside—even with social distancing. They are allowed to open for curbside pickup.
"We are making progress, but we are not yet where we need to be to safely reopen," said Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman.
The governor's office announced the state has received a shipment of remdesivir, which may reduce the recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients.
The doses are being shipped to hospital pharmacies around the state.
