Coronavirus Latest: Gov. Hogan Grants Local Health Departments Power To Take Action Against Local Businesses Not Complying To Executive Orders
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Gov. Hogan has issued a new executive order that empowers local health departments to take action against any businesses, establishments, and construction sites they deem unsafe.
He said while most businesses and individuals in the state have been complying to his stay-at-home executive order and the closure of non-essential businesses, there are reports that some are still not doing so.
If any business, organization, establishment, facility or construction site in a local health department's jurisdiction is not able to or is unwilling to cooperate with social distancing, that health department can require the facility to modify its operations, limit movement to or from that facility or shut them down all together.
The new order empowers state and local law enforcement to help local health officers to enforce the order, and those who don't comply will face a year in jail, a $5,000 fine or both- also the penalties for anyone caught gathering with more than 10 other individuals.
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Gov. Hogan has issued a number of executive orders to further social distancing across the state, including shutting down all non-essential businesses, restaurants, bars and recreational buildings.
He issued a stay-at-home order on March 30.
There are 4,371 cases of coronavirus in Maryland, according to numbers released by the state Tuesday morning, and 103 have died from COVID-19.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
