Governor Larry Hogan today declared a 30-day state of emergency to take urgent short-term actions to combat the current COVID-19 surge and mobilized 1,000 members of the Maryland National Guard to assist state and local health officials with the ongoing pandemic response. In addition to the 30-day state of emergency, below is a list of the comprehensive actions Governor Hogan announced today:
Authorization of Maryland Secretary of Health to Regulate Hospital Personnel, Bed Space, and Supplies. To assist hospitals and nursing homes in addressing staffing shortages, Governor Hogan signed an executive order that authorizes the secretary of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to:
- Direct and expedite the transfer of patients between facilities as necessary;
- Establish alternate care sites, and allow the Health Services Cost Review Commission to set rates for them;
- Allow interstate reciprocity for healthcare licenses;
- Allow inactive healthcare practitioners to practice without reinstating their licenses;
- Authorize graduate nurses to work at any healthcare facility and to provide full nursing services;
- Allow healthcare practitioners to practice outside the scope of their licenses;
- Regulate elective medical procedures as necessary; and
- Issue directives to control and monitor COVID-19 in nursing homes and similar congregate care facilities.
