Maryland and Michigan Lock Down Against Coronavirus

People descend down the Bethesda Metro train station escalator at commuter rush hour, as Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) ordered the shutdown of all bars and eateries in the state due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., March 16
March 24, 2020 Topic: Security Region: Americas Blog Brand: The Buzz Tags: MarylandDCMichiganCoronavirusCOVID-19

Maryland and Michigan Lock Down Against Coronavirus

The unprecedented quarantine measures come to the DC suburbs.

The governors of Maryland and Michigan announced more coronavirus restrictions Monday as cases of the virus increase.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a Monday “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order that will go into effect at midnight, while Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered all nonessential businesses in his state to close by 5 p.m. Monday, according to NBC News.

“Today, I am issuing a ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ Executive Order,” Whitmer tweeted.

She added: “It goes into effect tonight at midnight. The goal here is simple: Stay home. Stay safe. Save lives. If we all stay at home, except for critical work and needs, we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

Hogan’s order to close nonessential businesses is intended to protect state residents and to save lives, NBC reported. Police will enforce the state’s bans on gatherings of 10 or more people, but Maryland will reportedly not issue a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order at this time.

“Unless you have an essential reason to leave your house, stay home,” Hogan said.

The governor emphasized the importance of social distancing to residents earlier in March, saying, “Let me be very clear. If you are engaged in this type of activity, you are in violation of state law and you are endangering the lives of your fellow Marylanders.”

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Image: People descend down the Bethesda Metro train station escalator at commuter rush hour, as Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) ordered the shutdown of all bars and eateries in the state due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner