On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, Governor Hogan held a press conference to announce several new orders in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.  Below is a summary and a link to the press release.  The 4 orders are attached.   

Press Release:  Governor Larry Hogan - Official Website for the Governor of Maryland

Governor's Orders:

1. Proclamation: 

• Declares a state of emergency and catastrophic health emergency.  Proclamation includes the provision that  “Health care providers who act in good faith under this catastrophic health emergency proclamation, including orders issued under the proclamation by the Governor and by other State officials acting at the direction of or under delegated authority from the Governor, have the immunity provided by § 14-3A-06 of the Public Safety Article of the Maryland Code.”  According to the statute, the proclamation must be renewed every thirty days.

2. Healthcare Matters:

This order applies to health care practitioners and health care facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living, hospice and residential treatment centers and home health agencies. 

• Authorizes alternative care sites
• Authorizes the Secretary of Health to establish appropriate policies and procedures, to control, restrict, or regulate the use, sale, dispensing, distribution, or transportation of anything needed to respond to the medical consequences of the catastrophic health emergency, including without limitation, personal protective equipment, testing supplies, pharmaceuticals, human resources, and space in Health Care Facilities.
• Extends the expiration dates for nursing licenses that would expire or need to be renewed to February 3, 2022
• Allows for expanded scope of healthcare practitioners' licenses to meet staffing ratios or ensure continued care
• Allows nursing graduates to function as full RNs, with supervision
• Allows interstate reciprocity for healthcare licenses & inactive health care practitioners to practice
• Activates the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps
• Authorizes the Secretary of Health to issue directives to monitor, treat, prevent, reduce the spread of, and suppress, COVID-19 in and around Nursing Homes and Other Facilities. 

Note:  The definition of “Other Facilities” and “Health Care Facility” overlap.  Both include nursing homes, assisted living communities, home health care agencies and hospice facilities. 

3. EMS Workforce Order:

• Authorizes certain actions by MIEMSS to augment healthcare workforce.

4.  Updated MDH Provider Vaccination Bulletin:

• This bulletin discusses vaccine eligibility; residency and priority group eligibility determination, vaccine operations, wastage/at-risk vaccines and provider to provider vaccine transfer, including expanding booster/additional dose eligibility per FDA.