On March 23, 2020, Governor Hogan ordered that as of 5:00 PM today, all non-essential businesses in the State of Maryland must close due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic within Maryland. However, an important question remains:
What businesses are “essential” vs. “non-essential” in Maryland?
Fortunately, the Maryland Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel has clarified the issue. Longman & Van Grack will remain open pursuant to the Governor’s Order and the firm’s COVID-19 Operations Update as law firms are listed as essential by the Governor’s Office. For more detail, Maryland has named dozens of specific types of businesses which are essential directly within The Chemical Sector, The Commercial Facilities Sector, The Communications Sector, The Critical Manufacturing Sector, The Defense Industrial Base Sector, The Emergency Services Sector, The Energy Sector, The Financial Services Sector, The Food and Agriculture Sector, The Government Facilities Sector, The Healthcare and Public Health Sector, The Information Technology Sector, The Transportation Systems Sector, The Water and Wastewater Systems Sector, and Supporting Firms. Link to Maryland Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel Classification of “Essential” Businesses.
Consult the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel list if you are unsure if your business is essential. Nonetheless, the Attorney General clarifies that “The fact that a particular business, organization, or facility is not included in the list does not mean it is excluded from the federal critical infrastructure sectors.”