ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After 14 days of "encouraging trends" Gov. Larry Hogan is moving most of Maryland forward to Stage 2 of the state's recovery plan, allowing nonessential businesses to reopen Friday at 5 p.m.
Under Stage 1 of reopening, businesses such as clothing stores, pet groomers and religious institutions were allowed to reopen with strict social distancing in place and at 50% capacity. Stage 2 adds several more industries to the list, including nail salons, financial institutions and auto dealerships.
Here is what can reopen under Stage 1 and 2:
- Retail
- Barbershops/ hair salons (by appointment only)
- Nail/tanning salons (appointment only)
- Pet groomers
- Animal shelters
- Manufacturing
- Religious institutions (outdoor services encouraged, but indoor allowed at 50% capacity)
- Art galleries
- Car washes
- Bookstores
- Florists
- Furniture stores
- Jewelers
- Lawn and garden stores
- Pawnshops
- Sporting goods stores
- Tobacco and vape shops
- Construction
- Specialty vendors
- Wholesalers
- Warehouses
- Financial institutions
- Tech firms
- Auto dealers
- Insurance agencies
Montgomery and Prince George's counties, which entered Stage 1 Monday will remain in that phase for at least 14 days, and Hogan reiterated his commitment to allowing jurisdictions to reopen at their own pace.
"Moving into Stage 2 does not mean that this crisis is behind us or that we can afford to stop behind vigilant and cautious," Hogan said. "All Marylanders, particularly those older and more vulnerable populations are advised to continue staying home when possible, employers should continue encouraging telework when possible and Marylanders should continue practicing social distancing."
State government operations can resume Monday, June 8 including the Motor Vehicle Administration and other consumer-facing agencies. The state will have a gradual return to a normal transit schedule and a safe expansion of child care centers.
Hogan began lifting restrictions on certain outdoor activities such as golfing, fishing and camping on May 7.
These are the outdoor activities currently allowed in Maryland:
- Golfing
- Fishing
- Tennis
- Camping
- Archery
- Hunting
- Horseback riding
- Recreational boating
The following are also open, with local jurisdictions getting the final say on whether they actually do reopen or not:
- Beaches (local jurisdictions may still keep them closed)
- State parks and playgrounds (local jurisdictions may still keep county and city parks closed)
- Sports fields and courts (local jurisdictions may still keep them closed)
- Dog parks (local jurisdictions may still keep them closed)
- Cemeteries for visits (local jurisdictions may still keep them closed)
You must still practice social distancing and adhere to safety guidelines while out and about. Wearing a mask while around other people is still recommended.
These are the details on each stage of Maryland's reopening plan:
Stage 1: Maryland lifts the stay at home order and allows the reopening of many small businesses. Other community activities that are low risk would resume. Local governments, like individual counties, can have the flexibility to open up other things, such as parks and playgrounds and libraries with safety protocols in place.
Stage 2: Happens if there is no spike in deaths or sustained spike for ICU cases, as well as no additional significant community transmissions. This would include even more businesses reopening, and non-essential workers who can't rely on teleworking returning back to their jobs.
There would still be limits on social gatherings, but transit schedules like the Metro would return to normal. Indoor religious gatherings would be allowed with limited capacity, and restaurants and bars would be able to reopen with some safety protocols.
Stage 3: More high-risk activities like large social gatherings and high-capacity bars/restaurants would be allowed to open, loosening up restrictions on visits to other places like nursing homes and entertainment venues. Large-scale religious gatherings would also be allowed.