By Devon Douglas
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that $70 million would be invested in several initiatives to protect the health and well-being of Marylanders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The next several months may be the most difficult that we have faced,” Hogan said in his second COVID-19 press conference this week. “Things are likely going to get worse before it gets better.”
COVID-19 infections have increased nationwide. Hogan said that Maryland’s metrics remain better than half the U.S. but have still worsened since the start of the pandemic. There are 159,900 confirmed cases, of which 1,477 cases have been confirmed in the last 24 hours, he said. Maryland has a 5.6 percent positivity rate and 53 percent hospitalizations. He said that 199 people are in intensive care and 4,112 Marylanders have died.
“It’s been an out-of-control spike across the United States,” Hogan said, adding “Maryland is better prepared than most states.”
Hogan said that the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is funding the various initiatives. The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) received $20 million to continue building up strategic stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE). Budget officials urged county leaders to use their remaining CARES funding to obtain the supplies before the expiration period in two days. The state provided $362 million in federal CARES Act funding to the 19 small counties in Maryland with the largest five counties receiving $691 million.
The Maryland Department of Labor was given $15 million for additional staffing for the Division of Unemployment Insurance. Officials said this will help expand call center staffing, improve customer service management software, and provide fraud detection programming. To date, the department has administered nearly $8 billion to more than 640,000 Marylanders.
The governor announced an additional $10 million to the Maryland Department of Community and Housing Development for the next phase of relief for renters. He explained that this system helps low-income tenants negatively affected by the virus. This system already has helped more than 4,500 rental payments for families. Applications for November rent are being accepted now, he said.
Initially, the state will spend $10 million to plan for the purchase and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. Last month, Maryland sent a draft vaccination plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that calls for the purchase and distribution of vaccines to the elderly, front-line workers and first responders. About 40 Maryland companies are developing a vaccine, Hogan said.
Novavax was awarded $4.6 million to develop high speed manufacturing as early as late this year.
Another $10 million will go to area food banks, including $7 million for the Maryland Food Bank and $2.3 million for the Capital Area Food Bank. This spring, Maryland invested $4 million to the food programs and worked with other jurisdictions to match the investment.
The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) received $2 million in emergency supplemental resources for foster care to help providers understand the needs of the youth, such as mental health and education.
An additional $2 million will go to the DHS to enable telephones to be staffed through the weekend. Officials will be allowed to hire additional help in managing a growing demand for SNAP and energy assistance programs.
Hogan added that $1 million would be used for phase two of Maryland’s COVID-19 Sewer Sentel Initiative to sample wastewater to determine if COVID-19 lurks in vulnerable areas.
More than 460,000 Marylanders have subscribed to the state COVID Alert tracing app since its launch Tuesday.
“The app is an important tool that we are urging people to join to stop the spread,” Hogan said, noting the app notifies users who may have been exposed to the virus.
Hogan also announced a restaurant relief program that the Maryland Department of Commerce is operating with local jurisdictions to distribute $50 million in relief to restaurants across the state. He said 81,000 Maryland businesses have received $10 billion in PPE funding. Small businesses have received up to $10,000 in grants. Half of the state’s jurisdictions have been accepting applications.
The Department of Labor Fund is issuing new payments to small businesses for the second phase of its Layoff Aversion Fund. Applicants have received $5.7 million, which resulted in saving 12,000 jobs through this program.
Earlier Thursday, Hogan participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for McCormick & Co.’s new 1.8 million square foot Northeast Distribution Center at Tradepoint Atlantic Park in Baltimore County. Hogan was accompanied by Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Lawrence Kurzius, McCormick chairman, president, and chief executive officer.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a powerful example that Maryland is still open for business,” Hogan said.
McCormick, founded in 1889 in Baltimore City, will represent the largest distribution site for the company in the world once construction is complete in 2022, officials said.
McCormick will join Amazon, Under Armour, and Perdue on Tradepoint Atlantic Industrial Park, which is a critical East Coast gateway to domestic and global markets. Officials speculated the facility will create 11,000 jobs and amass $2.9 million in annual economic impact.