Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that Maryland would end its mask requirements for state buildings.
Hogan cited declining COVID-19 cases in the state to justify the move, calling on the State Board of Education to end masking requirements for children in public schools.
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“Given the dramatic declines in our health metrics, we are now able to take another step toward normalcy in state operations,” Hogan said in a statement. “In addition, we continue to offer paid leave for state employees to get their booster shots, which provide critical protection against the virus and its variants. I want to thank all of our dedicated state employees for their tireless efforts that have helped make Maryland’s COVID-19 response a national model.”
The masking requirements will end Feb. 22 for state workers and visitors in all state-owned and leased buildings. Unvaccinated individuals will still be encouraged to wear masks in those spaces, but it will not be mandated.
Hogan also encouraged parents to contact the education board to weigh in on the discussion, echoing a letter he sent last week to the board to remove the mandate. He cited declining COVID-19 cases in the state and bipartisan concerns that masking can have a negative social and academic impact on children.
“A growing number of medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials throughout the nation are calling for an end to school mask requirements,” Hogan said. “In light of dramatic improvements to our health metrics and the widespread availability of vaccines, I am calling on you to take action to rescind this policy.”
The board is set to meet on Feb. 22 and plans to discuss the mask mandate. In a letter responding to Hogan, the board said it is “optimistic” about COVID-19 data in the state. It also said local boards of education could lift the mask mandate for their schools if their county has a vaccination rate over 80%.
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Maryland reported 718 cases Sunday, below its record 36,646 cases Jan. 2, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Maryland has 89.7% of its population over 5 vaccinated with at least one dose, according to state data. This is above the national average of 80.9%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
