July 31
Dear Marylanders,
We find ourselves at a critical turning point in our state’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic—we can either continue to make progress and continue heading in the right direction, or we could ignore the warnings and spike back up like much of the rest of the country. To keep Maryland safely open for business, it is essential that everyone continues to follow the public health guidelines.
Recent contact tracing interviews revealed that 44% of Marylanders who tested positive attended family gatherings, 23% attended house parties, and 21% attended outdoor events. It’s easy to have a false sense of security in these settings, but each of us has to remain cautious and vigilant.
As of this evening, the current statewide masking order has been expanded to require the wearing of masks or face coverings in the public spaces of all businesses across the state. Face coverings are also required at outdoor public areas whenever it is not possible to maintain physical distancing. Wearing a mask is the best way to keep you and your family safe, to keep people out of the hospital, and to keep Maryland open for business.
Some additional reminders:
- The Maryland Department of Health has issued a public health advisory for all out-of-state travel. We are strongly advising against any travel to or from states with positivity rates of 10% or higher. Read the travel advisory.
- Contact tracing is a critical tool to find and fight the virus. If you get a call from MD COVID, please answer. Learn more about contact tracing in Maryland.
- There are over 200 testing sites statewide, including three additional no-cost sites announced this week. Plan your test today at COVIDtest.maryland.gov.
We have come too far to lose all the progress we’ve made on the road to health and economic recovery. I’m proud of the people of Maryland for staying Maryland Strong during this difficult time. We have faced and overcome daunting challenges before, and we will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Learn more about the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery here.
