On June 3, 2020, Governor Hogan announced that Maryland will move to Stage Two of the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery at 5:00 pm on Friday, June 5, 2020, and it will implement the following changes: The order that closed non-essential businesses will be lifted; personal services, such as salons, may open with strict protocols; and state government agencies will resume more normal operations. Marylanders are also still required to physically distance and wear masks.
Maryland has issued best practices for businesses to follow as they reopen. The guidance encourages employers to follow OSHA and CDC guidance while planning for reopening and to prepare the facility for reopening. Employers should communicate policies clearly and with proper signage for visitors and staff. Visitors and employees should be physically distanced, and the facility should be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with CDC guidance. Maryland also encourages employers to screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms at the start of work, ensure that sick leave policies are flexible and follow state and federal law, and be aware of employees with a high-risk of severe disease in order to accommodate a safer workspace for them.
Employees are encouraged to stay home or see a doctor if they are sick, and to continue to follow the recommendations on physical distance, hand washing, and the proper hygiene to cover coughs and sneezes and to not touch their faces.
Visitors to businesses are encouraged to not visit if they are sick, use a face covering, and follow the distancing and hygiene guidelines.
Best practices are also available by industry, including accommodations, construction and development, golf, manufacturing, marinas, personal services, professional services, restaurants and bars, retail, and youth sports.
Not all localities will open on Friday. Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties only recently entered Stage 1 on Monday, June 1, 2020, and Baltimore City is still under the Mayor’s Stay at Home Order.
Contact us
If you have any further questions or require more information regarding this update, please contact Kyle Gilster, Julia Banegas, Charles Fleischmann or your Husch Blackwell attorney.
COVID-19 Return-to-Work resource
For the many businesses that partially or completely shuttered their on-site operations due to government-mandated COVID-19 orders, transitioning employees back to the workplace is an unprecedented and complex endeavor. Husch Blackwell’s Return-to-Work Resource Center provides best practices, answers to common questions and potential issues to consider.