MD Gov Declares Emergency, Hospitals Overwhelmed

The Washington Post reports:

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Tuesday declared a 30-day state of emergency that mobilizes the National Guard to assist state and local health officers at coronavirus testing and vaccination sites and authorizes the state Department of Health to take steps to increase staffing at overwhelmed hospitals.

Hogan predicted that Maryland will see its “most challenging” phase of the pandemic yet in the next four to six weeks, with models projecting up to 5,000 people hospitalized for covid-19, an increase of up to 150 percent above the state’s peak levels last year.

The Health Department on Tuesday reported a pandemic record of 3,057 people hospitalized — a 500 percent increase since the omicron variant emerged seven weeks ago, Hogan said.

Read the full article.

Hogan declares 30-day state of emergency as state enters its “most challenging time” of the pandemic https://t.co/wi54BzAY8M

— Post Local (@postlocal) January 4, 2022