Maryland Governor Announces Three-Stage Plan for Reopening the State

By Robert B. Hopkins, Carla N. Murphy and Allison M. Midei 

On Friday afternoon, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced a three-stage plan to reopen the State called “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,” which will gradually ease the current restrictions on businesses, congregate settings and social interactions. The plan is based on the recovery plans issued by the federal government, the National Governors Association, Johns Hopkins and the American Enterprise Institute. Continue reading “Maryland Governor Announces Three-Stage Plan for Reopening the State”

Maryland Temporarily Prohibits Commercial and Industrial Evictions

Maryland Governor Lawrence J. Hogan issued Order Number 20-04-03-01 on April 3, 2020, which amends and restates an order previously issued on March 16, 2020, that, among other things, temporarily prohibits evictions of tenants suffering substantial loss of income due to COVID-19. The new order expands the coverage of the original order to temporarily prohibit commercial and industrial evictions.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Maryland Executive Order Requires Face Coverings for Public Transportation, Foodservice and Retail Establishments; Physical Distancing in Retail Spaces

On April 15, 2020, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order requiring Marylanders to wear face coverings under certain circumstances, including when using public transportation and when inside of foodservice and/or retail establishments. The order also requires retail establishments to post signage concerning the face covering requirement and to take other physical distancing measures. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the order will be charged with a misdemeanor, subject to imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Update to Various State Construction Closure Orders Related to COVID-19

This list is current as of April 14, 2020 (4:00 p.m. EST) and is and Update to an earlier Alert we posted on April 3rd. Please note that these closure orders are changing almost daily so please make sure you are checking the applicable state in question when considering a closure question.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Brad Molotsky, please visit the Duane Morris Project Development/Infrastructure/P3 Blog.

Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since March 13, 2020, when President Trump declared a national state of emergency due to the COVID-19 crisis, we have been in a healthcare crisis. The United States’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been plagued by increasing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies, beds and physicians necessary to care for COVID-19 patients. In addition, drastic patient surges, limited numbers of life-saving ventilators and healthcare providers who have been working tirelessly for weeks in a constant state of emergency all contribute to an extremely strained health system. Not only do more and more patients need care each day, healthcare providers must work quickly to diagnose, triage and treat patients, as well as make difficult decisions on how ventilators are assigned and reassigned. And we have yet to hit the anticipated spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Accordingly, states have either implemented or developed Crisis Standards of Care (CSC). A CSC is triggered when healthcare systems are so overwhelmed by a pervasive or catastrophic public health event, such as COVID-19, that it is impossible for them to provide the normal, or standard, level of care to patients. Instead of meeting the standard of care to avoid liability, providers must now meet the crisis standards of care as set-forth on a statewide basis or adapted by individual facilities.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Maryland Provides Economic Relief from COVID-19 for Businesses and Tax Payers

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local governments are ushering in an array of programs and tax relief measures to help mitigate the adverse economic impact of COVID-19 on business and nonprofit entities.

In addition to the economic incentive provisions and programs that are available through the new federal CARES Act, including the $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, Maryland has offered a number of new economic assistance programs, tax relief measures and deadline extensions to help businesses and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Orders Marylanders to Stay at Home Except for “Essential Activities” as of 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020 – All Prior Executive Orders Remain in Place

By Robert B. Hopkins

On Monday morning, Governor Hogan signed an Amended and Restated Executive Order to take effect at 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020 that requires Marylanders to stay at home except that (i) Marylanders may conduct or participate in “Essential Activities,” and (ii) staff and owners of essential businesses and organizations (as defined by a prior interpretive guidance of the governor’s office of legal counsel) may travel between their homes and such essential businesses and organizations and may travel to and from customers to deliver goods or perform services of such essential businesses and organizations. The stay-at-home order does not apply to persons whose residences have become unsafe, such as victims of domestic violence, or to persons experiencing homelessness, but governmental and other entities are strongly encouraged to make shelter available for such persons to the maximum extent practicable. Continue reading “Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Orders Marylanders to Stay at Home Except for “Essential Activities” as of 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020 – All Prior Executive Orders Remain in Place”

Maryland Governor Closes All Nonessential Businesses and Other Establishments March 23, 2020

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an order to take effect at 5:00 p.m. on March 23, 2020, that will close all nonessential businesses, organizations and establishments in the state, in addition to businesses closed by previous executive orders. This follows previous orders, statewide actions and recommendations. The order excludes “Essential Critical Infrastructure” businesses as defined by the federal government, which include businesses in the following sectors: chemical, commercial facilities, communications, critical manufacturing, dams, defense industrial base, emergency services, energy, financial services, food and agriculture, government facilities, healthcare and public health, information technology, nuclear reactors, materials, and waste, transportation, and water and wastewater.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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