As we’ve been projecting, our statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations have now surpassed 2,000—a surge driven primarily by unvaccinated patients. It cannot be stressed enough that getting vaccinated and boosted are your strongest possible defenses against this virus and its variants. With hospitalizations and deaths our primary focus, we have already taken a number of emergency actions in preparation for this surge, including the following:

Earlier this year, the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project sent me a petition, which originated with students from Loch Raven Technical Academy. I was asked to consider granting a pardon posthumously for Howard Cooper, a 15-year old boy who was lynched in Baltimore County in 1885. After a thorough examination of the facts and much thoughtful consideration, this morning, I granted a pardon to Howard Cooper. But digging into this case led me to investigate the details of all the cases of the injustice of lynching in Maryland.

Today I introduced the RELIEF Act of 2021, an emergency package that will provide more than $1 billion in direct stimulus and tax relief for struggling Marylanders and small businesses.

Details: governor.maryland.gov/2021/01/11/gov… The RELIEF Act provides direct stimulus payments for low-to-moderate income Marylanders, with benefits of up to $750 for families and $450 for individuals who file for the Earned Income Tax Credit. This relief will directly help more than 400,000 Marylanders.

Yesterday, the seat of our federal government and the heart of our American democracy came under seige in a heinous and violent assault. Today I provided an update on Maryland’s response as we continue to help defend our nation’s capital. Maryland has sent the @MDNG into the District of Columbia, where they were the first state guard members to arrive. Today we are extending their mission through the inauguration and the end of the month.

86,733 #COVID19 vaccinations have now been administered by providers in Maryland, and as I announced last night, we have begun administering second doses to front line healthcare workers. Six of our hospitals and health systems have now administered more than 50% of their doses. Overall, our hospitals and health systems have administered 37.6% of the doses delivered by Operation Warp Speed.

Today I provided a comprehensive update to Marylanders on the progress of vaccine distribution in our state, and announced a series of actions to accelerate this process.

Details: governor.maryland.gov/2021/01/05/gov… To date, the state has successfully allocated and deployed 270,150 doses—representing 98.7% of doses allocated by the federal government. According to @MDHealthDept, the state has conducted nearly 77,000 vaccinations, including a single-day record of 11,553 on Monday.

THREAD: #ElectionDay is tomorrow, and we encourage all Marylanders to make their voices heard in the safest way possible. Election Day voting will take place tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election officials recommend voting between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to avoid long lines, and Marylanders should wear a mask, bring hand sanitizer, and practice physical distancing at vote centers.

Today I provided a comprehensive update on Maryland’s ongoing #COVID19 response and recovery, along with @MdPublicSchools Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon.

Full details here: governor.maryland.gov/2020/07/22/gov… Dr. Salmon announced that local school systems will have the flexibility to determine how they will reopen. @MdPublicSchools is setting guardrails for reopening. All school systems must strictly observe CDC guidelines, including handwashing, physical distancing, and masks.

At this critical juncture in our ongoing response to #COVID19, there are five urgent priorities the nation’s governors need the @WhiteHouse to address. First, we continue to call on the administration to extend the public health emergency, which is set to expire this Saturday. Second, more than half of governors have already requested an extension of Title 32 authorization past the current expiration date of August 21. The National Guard remains a critical part of our public health response.

Today I made a series of announcements regarding Stage One of our #MarylandStrong Roadmap to Recovery. Effective this Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m., we will be lifting the Stay at Home order and moving instead to a Safer at Home public health advisory. Some businesses and establishments will be able to reopen beginning Friday at 5 p.m. with strong social distancing and other health and safety precautions in place. Details: governor.maryland.gov/2020/05/13/sta…

Today I enacted an executive order which will require the wearing of masks or face coverings when inside any retail establishments, including grocery stores and pharmacies, or when riding any form of public transportation in Maryland, effective Saturday, April 18, at 7 a.m. It also requires all essential retail locations to require their staff to wear face coverings, and requires those businesses to put appropriate social distancing measures in place in order to keep customers and their staff safe.

As of this morning, Maryland has 5,529 confirmed cases of #COVID19, an increase of 1,158 cases since yesterday. This virus continues to spread in every jurisdiction, and as I have been saying for weeks, the Baltimore-Washington corridor has become an emerging hotspot. An increase in new infections is just one of the reasons for today’s significant jump in new cases. This is also due to our ongoing efforts to ramp up testing in Maryland, with more private labs coming onboard and the expansion of commercial lab capacity.

Today I announced financial relief initiatives to provide assistance to millions of Marylanders, including an order prohibiting lenders from initiating the mortgage foreclosure process and prohibiting repossession of cars, trucks, & mobile homes. governor.maryland.gov/2020/04/03/gov… Nearly 70 of Maryland’s largest banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, and other financial institutions have collaborated to provide additional flexibility to borrowers, such as mortgage payment forbearance or deferral and relief from late fees.

This pandemic is one of the most daunting challenges our state has ever faced, but sometimes the worst times have a way of bringing out the very best in Marylanders. We have seen so many examples of compassion and generosity in recent days. #MarylandUnites Multiple Maryland distilleries are shifting their productions to create and bottle hand sanitizer, including @patapscodistill in Sykesville and @TwinValleyDist in Rockville.

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Today I announced additional actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland. They may sound extreme, and they will be terribly disruptive, but they are also absolutely necessary to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Details here: governor.maryland.gov/2020/03/16/gov… I have ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants in the state, as well as fitness centers, spas, and theaters, effective at 5:00 p.m. today. The order allows for restaurants to continue carry-out, drive-thru, and delivery services.

Since declaring a state of emergency last night, we have continued to ramp up our response to COVID-19 and investigate the three positive cases in Montgomery County. This morning, I updated both U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen by phone. Earlier this afternoon, I met with Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson.