On March 5th, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency throughout the state of Maryland and held a press conference about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The conference addressed the earlier declaration, emergency management, allocation of resources to help manage the pandemic, school and other closures and the first three tested-positive cases of coronavirus in the state.
The first three cases — a married couple in their 70s and a third person in their 50s — were tested by the state’s Public Health Laboratory in Baltimore and later quarantined. All three cases were Montgomery County residents and were aboard an overseas cruise in Africa. They were reported to have recovered by March 12th.
“The confirmation of three positive cases of the coronavirus here in Maryland was not an unexpected event. We have been preparing for this event with many, many partners across the state… These were individuals that… had an exposure in the course of international travel… What is happening right now is a very, very thorough investigation… in consultation with the federal government, the CDC, with the state of Maryland, as well as with Montgomery County Health Department,” state health official Frances Phillips said.
In the ensuing days, the Maryland Department of Health and the county health agency worked as several more COVID-19 cases emerged, bringing up the total count in Maryland to the dozens. During this time period, school and business trips, events and activities were cancelled, study-abroad programs were suspended, and some universities and businesses shut down temporarily.
“When I first heard about [the first cases] in Montgomery County, I became more self conscious about what I did throughout the day and how I approached washing my hands. I felt that if I could decrease the amount of germs I… was spreading, then I was doing something to decrease the chance [of the virus spreading],” Wootton HS freshman Ilana Zlotchenko said.
On March 12th, in light of the surging quantity of coronavirus cases — and following the statement by the World Health Organization declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic — Governor Hogan held another press conference in Annapolis with several other high-ranking state officials and announced directives and measures that the state government will begin enforcing to keep the public safe from the disease and limit its spread.
During the press conference, he announced the activation of the National Guard, mandatory teleworking for non-essential state employees, closure of the Port of Baltimore, expiry extensions for permits and licenses, prohibition on mass gatherings and an order for the State Emergency Operations Center to operate at its maximum level, among others.
The same day, MCPS posted an announcement on their website declaring that — as directed by MSDE Superintendent Karen Salmon — schools countywide will be closed from March 16th to March 27th. As the shutdown was considered by the district as an “emergency closure,” the district directed that no graded work would be given out for the two weeks and even froze the online gradebook to discourage educators from doing so.
“The March 16-27 closure of all Maryland schools is considered an emergency closure. During an emergency closure… teachers and other employees who work while school is in session do not work,” MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith said. “That means, from March 16–27, MCPS teachers are not expected to give students new assignments… or deliver new instruction. Please know our teachers care and want to support their students, and are looking forward to reconnecting with them as soon as possible.”
Ten days following the governor’s March 12 press conference, on March 21st, a Montgomery County police officer was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. He was the first member of law enforcement in Maryland to contract the disease, according to county health officer Travis Gayles.
The next day, Montgomery County executive Marc Elrich reported the county’s first, and the state of Maryland’s third, coronavirus-related death. It was disclosed that the patient, suffering from an underlying medical condition, died on late Saturday, March 21st.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the first death of a Montgomery County resident in connection with this pandemic. Our sympathies go out to her family and friends. Please know we are doing everything we can to slow the spread of this disease and we ask you to do the same… and please be kind to each other in these difficult times,” Elrich said.
Throughout that time, many public facilities and centers in Montgomery County closed temporarily, and those who remained open switched to reduced schedules indefinitely. Cases of coronavirus throughout the state soared to the hundreds, with Montgomery County having the most number of resident cases out of any other in Maryland.
On March 23rd, the governor ordered a shutdown of all “non-essential businesses,” closing bars, restaurants and other non-critical infrastructure. In response, many food establishments in Montgomery County switched to takeout and delivery services to continue providing for residents throughout the county.
“There are some cars driving by, but only half or one third of their usual number… On a gloomy or cloudy day, recreational areas are also fairly empty — one might see the occasional jogger or dog-walker… On sunny days it is quite different: it seems as if the whole neighborhood is out and about. Although Governor Hogan said… to minimize the number of times one goes outdoors, many families… seem to think that the benefits of fresh air and exercise outweigh the risk of infection,” Walter Johnson HS sophomore Sonia Meytin said in response, noting the seeming deficit of change in the days after.
Two days following the governor’s order, MCPS announced an extension of the countywide — and statewide — school closure, extending the shutdown to last until April 24th. To help provide more equal access in education for underprivileged students, the district also provided free Wi-Fi access for K-12 learners in a partnership with Comcast and distributed laptops at designated schools throughout the county.
MCPS noted that teacher-led instruction will continue for the fourth marking period in an online format. The first phase of the district’s online education plan was arranged to begin the following Monday.
On March 27th, three nursing homes throughout the county reported cases of COVID-19 in their facilities, reporting that some of their staff and residents had tested positive for the disease. At the time, three residents in Brighton Gardens in Bethesda, and staff members in Fox Chase Rehab and Fairland Center in Silver Spring were the only ones identified positive for coronavirus. Following the screening, the nursing homes enhanced their procedures to help control the spread of infection.
Just three days later, on March 30th, Governor Hogan issued an order to go into effect the same day. The order instructs Marylanders to stay in their homes except for emergencies or necessities, such as grocery-shopping, going to work or refilling medical prescriptions. Penalties for violating the order include a fine of $5,000 and a 1-year jail sentence.
Altogether, the student community has been receptive and supportive of the county and state government’s responses to the growing pandemic. Some teenagers, far removed from the situation, lack a clear understanding of the state of affairs, but most have realized the severity of the situation and accepted the measures put in place by the government.
“I think it all happened so fast and by the time I had learned that there were deaths in Montgomery County I had kind of been expecting it already… Because it all happened so fast I think my initial response was a little bit more childish than I would like to admit,” Walt Whitman HS junior Caroline Liu said.
“I made plans to hang out with my friends and even asked my friend to go to the mall with me. Eventually though… I came to realize that this issue was extremely severe… and I’m really grateful for [our state’s actions in response to the pandemic]. At the same time, I am obviously disappointed that we had to put such a big pause on our lives… I had state chorus, [a school trip] to Florida, [a] talent show [and] my birthday, and all were affected by this new way of life. I miss my friends [very] much and I miss going out to all my extracurricular activities that keep me sane, but this is what needs to be done and the sooner everyone gets on board, the sooner we can go back to our lives.”
As of March 30th, there are over 1400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland, with over 340 of those being from Montgomery County residents.
Article by Eliazar Montemayor III of Walter Johnson High School
Graphic by Claire Yang of Winston Churchill High School