ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday urged state residents to stay home for the holidays to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and also announced a new $180 million relief package to help businesses and people affected by the pandemic.
The governor issued an emergency order to limit travel to essential purposes only.
“Our message today is simple: you are safer at home for the holidays this year,” the Republican governor said at a news conference. “Making difficult sacrifices during these next few weeks will absolutely help keep your family, loved ones and your fellow Marylanders safe. It will help our hospitals keep up with the demand and it will save lives.”
Hogan said residents who travel out of state should get a negative COVID-19 test before returning or quarantine for 10 days. He said the same applies to people from other states who travel to Maryland as well. Law enforcement won’t track travelers’ compliance, Hogan said.
“We’re just going to rely on the good faith of the people that are going to listen to these orders, because they’re critically important to keeping people alive, and we’re going to try to ensure as much compliance as we can and just get people to cooperate,” Hogan said.
The relief package will include $50 million to help hotels and hospitality businesses and $30 million to help restaurants. Another $15 million will be set aside for entertainment venues, as well as $5 million specifically for businesses in rural counties. There will be $40 million to boost temporary case assistance benefits over the next six months and $40 million for developmentally disabled care providers to accelerate a 4% salary increase to begin Jan. 1, which is six months ahead of schedule.
The governor said that brings the total amount of emergency state aid during the pandemic to more than $600 million. He said he’ll be proposing more to lawmakers early next year.
“When the legislature returns to work next month for the 2021 session, we will be proposing a much larger economic and stimulus relief package, which will provide further support for our struggling families and small businesses,” Hogan said.
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ng to try to ensure as much compliance as we can and just get people to cooperate.”
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