Coronavirus in Maryland

In downtown Silver Spring on Wednesday, many people were wearing their masks indoors and while walking around outdoors. While no indoor mask mandate is in place, the county has now reached a high level of community spread of COVID-19.

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted to remove the mask mandate after hearing passionate arguments for and against the decision. Cory Smith reports.

The school district said other COVID-19 mitigation strategies will remain in place, including a testing program, vaccination clinics and enhanced cleaning practices.

Here’s the latest on Montgomery County Public Schools’ masking policies.

The Spotsylvania County School Board voted to ease masking rules Monday night, and mask guidance could be changing in Montgomery County schools soon. News4’s Justin Finch reports.

The county’s mask mandate is set to lift at 11:59 p.m. However, businesses can decide to set their own rules, and masks will still be required in public schools and on public transit.

Masks will still be required in Montgomery County Public Schools and on public transportation.

Gov. Larry Hogan says Maryland will stop requiring masks in state buildings next week

Prince George’s County Public Schools has released updated COVID-19 protocols in an effort to maintain in-person instruction safely. The new guidelines cover who must quarantine and for how long. People who test positive must quarantine for at least five days. People who have a booster shot, were recently vaccinated or had a recent COVID-19 infection can quarantine for less...

News4’s Justin Finch breaks down the latest quarantine guidelines from Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Rapid test kits are free to Montgomery County residents.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a 30-day state of emergency to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases

University of Maryland Capital Region Health says it’s moving three Prince George’s health centers to crisis standards of care amid rising COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages. UM Capital Region Medical Center, UM Bowie Health Center and the Emergency Department at UM Laurel Medical Center declared a hospital emergency Friday, according to a press release. The hospitals will implement crisis...

State officials in Maryland say they’ve gotten the first load of two new antiviral medicines that may guard people with Covid-19 from becoming seriously ill or dying

The University of Maryland’s Charles Regional Medical Center has joined several other hospitals declaring a crisis. News4’s Paul Wagner reports.

If you see a long line in the Washington, D.C., area, there’s a good chance it’s people waiting to get tested for COVID-19. Two new sites in Maryland had long lines on New Year’s Eve day. News4’s Derrick Ward reports.

Charles County Public Schools in Maryland will delay in-person learning after winter break because of the high number of COVID-19 cases in the county. Students will learn virtually for at least the first week back, from Jan. 3 to Jan. 7, the school district announced Wednesday. Athletics and extracurricular activities are also postponed. Staff are set to report to work…

More than 2,000 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across Maryland, leading to calls for Gov. Larry Hogan to reinstate a limited public health emergency declaration. “Unlike previous spikes, you know, we’re depleted in terms of staff available to care for everyone,” Maryland Hospital Association President and CEO Bob Atlas told News4. Atlas said a limited declaration would provide hospitals with the…

More than 2,000 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across Maryland, leading to calls for Gov. Larry Hogan to reinstate a limited public health emergency declaration.

The number of Marylanders hospitalized for COVID-19 soared past 2,000 as the state reported a flood of new cases Wednesday, and hospitals must cancel elective surgeries, Gov. Larry Hogan said. Hospitalizations are at their highest level since the pandemic began, and it’s being driven by unvaccinated patients, Hogan said. “Under a state health directive, hospitals are required to implement pandemic…