By Nicholas Palazzo
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
State officials on Thursday gave the green light to nursing home facilities interested in resuming visitations and child care providers anxious to open their centers to more children.
Gov. Larry Hogan and State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon announced the changes as they celebrated a decrease in Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate. Maryland’s positivity rate of under 5 percent has held steady for 98 days straight and no county has landed in the designated red zone.
“This spring, for states across the nation, nursing homes became ground zero in the fight against COVID-19,” Hogan said. “Today, effective immediately as a result of new federal and state guidelines and our advances in rapid testing, indoor visitation is now able to begin in all nursing homes.”
As of today, he said $102 million has been provided to nursing homes for safety measures and an additional $6 million would be committed specifically for testing of nursing home staff using state testing resources.
Hogan said indoor visitations of nursing homes for family members has been authorized as long no new positive cases have been present in 14 days prior. Rather than cutting off all visitations during the worst days of the pandemic, some nursing homes allowed outdoor visits only.
“This new federal policy and our new state policy efforts allows for more flexibility and compassionate care visits to support residents who need emotional and spiritual support,” said Hogan.
On Aug. 5, 130 Maryland nursing homes had active COVID-19 cases; as of Thursday, the number has decreased to 76. This represents a decline of 41.5 percent.
Salmon announced that child care providers in Maryland are now able to return to the full teacher-to-child ratios and capacities for which they are licensed. Child care centers can now serve up to 20 toddlers ages 3 and 4 years old in a room with a ratio of one teacher to 10 students and up to 30 school-age students with a ratio of one teacher to 15 students. Providers must continue to follow all appropriate public health and safety guidance, Salmon said.
“We have heard very clearly from many parents and providers who have written and called me, that we return to licensed capacity to meet the needs of working families and prevent the closure of child care centers once it could be done safely,” said Salmon.
“I am hopeful this announcement effectively complements local school system efforts to bring students back into the classroom and provides more working families with access to safe child care programs,” she said.
Salmon said teachers were excited to return to classrooms. Online classes have been the new normal and for a safe return to schools is something to get behind.
“I want to also thank childcare providers, the teachers and staff for their dedicated service to our children and families, they are certainly heroes,” said Salmon.
On another topic, Hogan discussed the impact the coronavirus has had on businesses, particularly small businesses. Hogan said he wants to aide business owners especially with colder weather coming in.
“We encourage the city of Baltimore to catch up with the rest of the state,” said Hogan, noting that many restaurants have implemented 40 percent indoor dining and are allowing later hours to serve food to its patrons.
He added that the current revenue of Maryland has done better than previous estimates.