As COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that the state will spend an additional $70 million dollars in federal CARES Act funding on supplies and programs related to the pandemic.
Among that $70 million, Hogan said $20 million will be spent on personal protective equipment, or PPE, $15 million on bolstering the state’s unemployment insurance program, and $10 million on syringes and other vaccine-related supplies.
Hogan said the state plans to spend every CARES Act dollar it got, but it’s not enough.
Meanwhile, he complained that he last heard from the White House coronavirus task force before the election.
“The states are out here fighting probably the worst part of the crisis we've ever had to deal with, and we don't really know what's going on at the federal level, and we don't see any action out of Congress either — still bickering, still fighting, still not reaching compromise,” Hogan said.
The governor warned that the coming weeks and months may be the most difficult part of the pandemic. Getting through it will require collective action to “flatten the curve,” he said.
In his second COVID-19-related press conference this week, Hogan did not announce any new restrictions on businesses or activities the public can undertake. But he did not rule out future restrictions.
“My goal is to keep as much of our economy open, as many people working, and our lives as normal as possible,” he said. “But might we have to take more restrictive actions over the coming weeks or months? Absolutely, we might.”