Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized local health departments Tuesday to close businesses that fail to comply with social distancing orders aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus.
Local health departments now can require unsafe facilities or businesses to immediately change their operations, limit movement to and from a site, or shut them down all together, said Mr. Hogan, who briefed the press Tuesday about his new executive order at the Baltimore Convention Center.
With a backdrop of makeshift hospital beds and officials in face masks, Mr. Hogan removed his own face mask to talk to reporters. The convention center has been converted into a field hospital for coronavirus patients who no longer require hospitalization to complete their recovery.
“I am pleased to report that we have succeeded in convincing the Trump administration to designate the greater Baltimore-Washington corridor as a priority,” the Republican governor said, noting that the federal government has designated 12 Maryland counties as hot spots for the coronavirus.
Mr. Hogan said Vice President Mike Pence also agreed to send 200 ventilators to Maryland.
To address outbreaks at long-term care facilities, Mr. Hogan activated three types of “strike teams” to help overburdened nursing homes:
• Test teams to collect and send out tests.
• Assistance teams of National Guard members to assess equipment and supply needs.
• Clinical teams of nurses and doctors to perform on site triage.
Mr. Hogan also approved 27 new licenses for assisted living programs and 14 licenses for clinical labs to prepare for the surge capacity.
In the District, the D.C. Council held its legislative meeting virtually Tuesday via the Zoom video-conferencing program to maintain social distancing and voted unanimously to pass another coronavirus relief package.
“There are no introductions from the dais since we don’t have a dais,” said D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat, as he opened the council’s first virtual meeting in its 45-year history.
The emergency legislation included adjustments to ease graduation requirements for high school seniors, a freeze on commercial and residential rent, consumer protections for funeral services, deferrals for mortgage payments, and authority for the mayor to extend the public emergency until June 8 and create a $25 million grant program for hospitals to prepare for a surge of patients.
Although the bill was introduced unanimously, some council members expressed frustration that provisions were removed from the final legislation, including a measure to support residents who are not eligible for unemployment insurance such as undocumented immigrants, sex workers and street vendors.
“It was priced out with a significant cost at a time when we are looking at a possible or probably $607 million drop in revenues that we are going to have to close for the current fiscal year in the next couple of months,” Mr. Mendelson said, adding that the issue isn’t being ignored even though it isn’t addressed in this bill.
Council member Elissa Silverman pushed back on the chairman’s version. Using Zoom’s chat function, the at-large independent said that language in the bill for a community grant program did not specify how much money would be given in grants to workers who are ineligible for cash assistance. It only authorized the mayor to set up the program, she said.
Also on Tuesday, the council approved in a final vote the Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act of 2020, which requires employers to offer workers a “clean air transportation fringe benefit” as an alternative to a parking benefit.
Council member Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 Democrat, raised concerns about the bill from local business leaders who said the measure will make it harder for businesses to operate during the pandemic.
The D.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Adams Morgan Partnership BID (Business Improvement District), the D.C. Hospital Association, the Capitol Riverfront BID, the Federal City Council and the Georgetown BID sent a joint letter Tuesday to the city lawmakers.
“Many – if not most – District businesses are currently fighting for their lives amid this unprecedented public health emergency,” the letter read. “Passing this legislation in the midst of the current economic crisis will set a new standard in tone deafness by the Council.”
Council member Mary Cheh, Ward 3 Democrat, called the request from business leaders “coronavirus opportunism,” saying she made several compromises on this bill with them, it offers many “off ramps” for employers who don’t want to comply and it also doesn’t go into effect until October.
The council’s next scheduled meeting is May 5, which could be another Zoom event, the chairman said.
Meanwhile, Giant Food announced that, beginning Thursday, the number of shoppers allowed in its stores will be limited to halt the spread of the virus. Store workers will count customers as they enter.
The grocery company did not say exactly how many shoppers will be allowed in at a time, saying it will reduce store capacity to 20%.
Giant also said all of its stores will close at 3 p.m. Sunday.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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