Maryland Gov. Hogan Institutes 30-Day State Of Emergency Amid COVID Surge, Grants More Powers To Hea

[appalachiablue]

Source: Baltimore Sun

In the midst of surging patient volumes at Maryland hospitals and a massive increase in COVID-19 infections statewide, Gov. Larry Hogan implemented Tuesday a temporary state of emergency and other executive orders designed to give the state government more powers and tools to combat the crises.

The new initiatives, announced at a news conference in Annapolis, give state health secretary Dennis R. Schrader broad powers to assist hospitals with soaring bed occupancy numbers and staff shortages; expand, in theory, the emergency medical services workforce; mobilize 1,000 members of the Maryland National Guard; open 20 new coronavirus testing sites adjacent to hospitals, which have reported high numbers of emergency department walk-ins seeking confirmatory testing; and begin providing booster shots for 12- to 15-year-old kids in the state.

“While we are hoping for the best, we are actively preparing for the worst,” Hogan said, adding that the latest projections show state COVID hospitalizations could reach more than 5,000, an increase of more than 150% over the previous peak. Already, hospitals in the state are strained, said Dr. Ted Delbridge, executive director of the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Systems, which transports and matches patients to the right providers during emergencies.

On Tuesday, more than 3,000 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized. Flu and other seasonal illnesses also are bringing people into hospitals, Delbridge said. “Our hospitals are struggling to deal with the number of sick people coming to them,” Delbridge said. “It’s just plain sad. For our health care heroes, it takes a toll.”...

Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-hogan-state-of-emergency-30-days-20220104-q7aqvfhbrzaivhcks3gpgdnopy-story.html

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Title end, 'Healthcare'

[mainer]

1. What kind of guy is Gov. Hogan? He seems so reasonable

Maryland folks, do you have any comments about your governor?

[NurseJackie]

2. He's right in the middle on many things...

... pissing off an equal amount of folks all across the political spectrum.

[TexasTowelie]

3. At least he is trying.

My governor and his associates don't give a damn whether we live or die.

[NurseJackie]

6. A agree. I didn't vote for him in 2018...

... his Democratic opponent last time was Ben Jealous, but I believe that his close association with far left politicians probably hurt him in Maryland's purple districts/counties. The panhandle of Maryland (so close to WV and SW Penna) is almost always going to vote for the Republican. Even with his NAACP leadership credits to boast about, I think that Ben Jealous was saddled with other baggage that made it so that he couldn't excite enough Marylanders. The "go hard left and win" philosophy didn't really work this time as so many had advised and predicted. Maryland is not the same as Vermont, that's for sure. (And Gov. Hogan hasn't been controversial and is generally well-liked in the state.)

[elleng]

8. A decent administrator.

[Raftergirl]

4. But won't issue a state wide mask mandate.

[appalachiablue]

5. Really messed up

[Initech]

7. Thanks, anti-vaxxer fuckheads. You did this.