COVID-19 Updates: State of Maryland

June 10, 2020

• Per newly issued guidance, the Governor’s Office is advising employers to provide a letter to employees who must commute to and from work to establish their need to travel if challenged. 

• In addition, the guidance provides that persons traveling into Maryland from anywhere outside Maryland are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, except for persons who regularly commute into Maryland or persons who are traveling through Maryland.

• Importantly, the guidance also clarifies that restaurants and bars may continue curbside pickup under the most recent Executive Order.

• The most recent guidance also clarifies that the definition of “essential” business as set forth in the March 23, 2020 guidance has not changed.

March 30, 2020

• Governor Hogan issues a stay-at-home/shelter-in-place directive for the state of Maryland in his amended Executive Order, effective at 8pm today. Read the interpretive guidance for the Order here.

March 26, 2020

• Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera issued two orders yesterday extending the closure of the courts except for emergency operations through May 1, 2020 and staying all residential foreclosure, eviction, and ejectment matters effective immediately.

March 25, 2020

• The Governor’s Office published additional guidance regarding staff access to non-essential businesses to clarify that, while non-essential businesses are required to close to the public, the order does not prohibit staff from being on site as reasonably necessary for limited purposes, as detailed in the order listed below.

• Dr. Karen B. Salmon, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, announced the extension of school closures through April 24, 2020.

March 24, 2020

• Last night, the Governor’s Office issued additional guidance concerning the businesses that may remain open during the state of emergency and confirmed that colleges and universities that provide on-campus housing are not required to displace students in dormitories who have no other reasonably accessible place of residence. The guidance also encourages retail establishments that remain open to modify their operations to conduct as much business as possible remotely and to limit in-store interactions where practicable.

March 23, 2020

• In an effort to limit price gouging during the state of emergency, this Executive Order prohibits retailers from increasing the sale or rental price of certain goods or services to a price that increases the retailer’s value of profit by more than 10%.

• The Governor also issued an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Health to implement a process to authorize laboratories in Maryland to develop and perform testing for COVID-19.

• Governor Hogan issued a new Executive Order urging Marylanders to remain at home and employers to promote work-from-home arrangements, requiring all non-essential businesses to close at 5:00 p.m.  Businesses, organizations, and facilities that are included in the federal critical infrastructure sectors may remain open.  He also announced a aid for small businesses, including designation of the entire state of Maryland for SBA assistance.

March 19, 2020

• U.S. Small Business Administration formally designated Maryland as eligible for its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which provides low-interest federal disaster loans for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per the SBA:

• SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.
   
• These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
   
• SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

https://open.maryland.gov/blog/maryland-receives-sba-designation-low-interest-loans-during-covid-19/

• Events of more than 10 people in close proximity are now prohibited. The state will close all enclosed shopping malls and entertainment venues at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2020.

March 18, 2020

• Circuit Courts in Maryland are directed to continue to record any instruments that are required to be recorded among the land records of the applicable Circuit Court during the state of emergency.  Drop boxes have been installed to receive documents in the Circuit Courts. Read the Administrative Order on Statewide Judiciary Operations That Must be Maintained During COVID-19 Emergency: Land Records here.

March 17, 2020

• Governor Hogan’s counsel issues guidance on interpretive definitions of various businesses who face closing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic with specific regard to shopping malls, food courts, food trucks, private clubs, funerals, barbershops, and more.

• The primary election has been postponed until June 2, 2020.

March 16, 2020

• All bars and restaurants have been closed to the general public as of 5:00 p.m. on March 16, 2020 per the attached Executive Order.  Carry-out, drive-through, and delivery operations may continue to function.  Similarly, fitness centers, theaters, bingo halls, and governmental buildings with an occupancy of more than 50 people have also been closed.  

• By Executive Order, the Governor has extended the expiration of all licenses and permits that would otherwise expire during the State of Emergency.  Among other things, this includes liquor licenses issued by local Liquor Boards which expire by their terms on April 30, 2020.  However, the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City has NOT extended the March 31, 2020 filing deadline for renewal applications.  Per the attached press release, these are being collected in a drop box located outside the Liquor Board’s offices.

• The Maryland General Assembly is adjourning early, on Wednesday, March 18^th.  As of Monday, roughly 2,400 bills remained pending, although legislators announced they would be suspending rules to expedite the enactment of legislation. Lawmakers have announced that they plan to return to session during the last week of May, after Memorial Day, to pick up unfinished work.

• Non-essential state employees, who are able, have been directed to work from home. Many state offices are open, but closed to the public. For questions, the specific agency should be contacted directly.

• Chief Judge Barbera of the Maryland Court of Appeals has issued an order closing courts throughout Maryland to the public during the period from March 16 through April 3, subject to limited exceptions.

• For employees/employers with unemployment insurance questions, the Department of Labor is answering frequently asked questions on its website.

March 11, 2020

• Peter Franchot announced the extension of business-related tax filing deadlines until June 1 and pledged that if the IRS extends its April 15th filing deadline for corporate and individual income tax returns, Maryland will conform to the decision of the IRS.