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THERE. HE WALKED UP TO THE PODIUM WEARING A FACE MASK, AND THEN GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN SAID HE JUST SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING FACE COVERINGS FOR ANYONE USING PUBLIC TRANSIT AND ANYBODY INSIDE A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT. A CORONAVIRUS CONTACT TRACING OPERATION WAS ANNOUNCED, HIRING 1000 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FOR DISEASE INVESTIGATION. ORDERS OF PROTECTIVE GEAR, MEDICAL SUPPLIES FINALLY BEEN DELIVERED, INCLUDING ICU BEDS, FACE SHIELDS, AND 4.5 MILLION N95 MASKS. THE GOVERNOR SAID THOUGH CONFIRMED CASES AND DEATHS CONTINUE TO INCREASE, HOSPITALIZATION RATES ARE STARTING TO SHOW POSSIBLE SIGNS OF STABILIZATION. >> FORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE EARLY AND AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS AND BECAUSE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICES OF MARYLANDERS, WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO MOVE FROM CONTAINMENT AND MITIGATION TO PLANNING THE GRADUAL ROLLOUT OF OUR RECOVERY PHASE. KATE: THE GOVERNOR SAID DETAILS ON THAT PLAN AND RESTARTING THE ECONOMY WILL BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK. >> THERE ARE SOME VERY REAL REASONS FOR HOPE AND OPTIMISM RIGHT NOW. AND THERE IS CLEARLY A LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS TUNNEL. BUT EXACTLY HOW AND WHEN WE WILL GET TO THAT LIGHT IS GOING TO BE UP TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. KATE: THE NEW DIRECTIVE TO WEAR MASKS IN PUBLIC IN CERTAIN PUBLIC SITUATIONS GOES INTO EFFECT STATEWIDE THIS SATURDAY AT 7 A.M. REPORTING LIVE FROM ANNAPOLIS, I’M KATE AMARA, WBAL-TV 11 NEWS. DEBORAH: THANK YOU, KATE. WITH THE NEW ORDER FOR WEARING MASKS IN PUBLIC SEE HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN. WE HAVE A LINK IN THE WBAL APP AN ONE HOWD YOU CAN WBALTV.COM FOLLOW THE CDC GUIDELINES. WBALTV.COMAND WE RECAP ALL OF THE DETAILS ON

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan outlined new steps being taken as part of the state's coronavirus recovery plan, including the expansion of contact tracing.|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland's latest numbers | Rumor Control ||As Marylanders remain at home and practicing social distancing, the governor signed an executive order Wednesday ordering that face masks be worn while inside any retail establishment, including grocery stores, pharmacies or convenience stores, or while riding on any public transit."While this order is an important step in our immediate efforts to protect public health and safety, the wearing of masks is also something that we may all have to become more accustomed to in order to safely reopen our state," Hogan said.The order takes effect 7 a.m. Saturday.The governor's order follows piecemeal action by jurisdictions, like Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Wednesday by Baltimore City. Baltimore's order goes a little bit further, requiring mask use in public when social distancing is not a possibility.Residents and restaurant employees reacted to the face masks order."I can't hear you. My hearing is very muffled, and if I can't see your lips, it's very hard for me to understand," resident Mary Harper-Smith said. "We touch food all day, so having to wear a facemask even while we're at work helps us," Chipotle employee Aleks Wheat said. "Face masks -- you need them. I've had a couple people cough in the store and cough on things. I think the face masks could help.""Instead of just telling them wear face masks, we should be giving people face masks," Wheat said.With new actions come more worries, as some believe the state's mandates continue to stray further from the norm."Whether a glove or a mask is going to cover, is it going to help?" Harper-Smith asked.While others said it doesn't go further enough."And yes, people are getting better, but people are dying and I feel like it's not enough," Wheat said.Hogan referenced a YouTube video in which Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams shares ways to create your own face covering in a few easy steps. Watch here.Deputy Health Secretary Fran Phillips stressed the importance of not letting up on social distancing during this time, as it is still necessary.The governor said there are positive signs of cautious optimism that signal plans can be discussed for a gradual rollout of the state's recovery phase."Fortunately, because of the early and aggressive actions and the extraordinary sacrifices of Marylanders, we're now in a position to move from containment and mitigation to plan the gradual rollout of our recovery phase," Hogan said.The governor said details on the recovery plan, and restarting the economy, are coming next week."I assure you, those plans will be well thought-out, gradual and safe," Hogan said. "There are some very real reasons for hope and optimism right now, and there is clearly a light at the end of this tunnel, but exactly how and when we will get to that light is going to be up to each and every one of us."As the state's number of cases continues to climb, the governor said it's important to continue actions to stop the spread of the coronavirus in order to return to a sense of normalcy."We want to get our economy back, we want to get people back to work, but we need to do that in a smart way," Hogan said.The governor laid out four critical building blocks of the state's recovery plan that include:Exponentially expanding testing capacityIncreasing hospital surge capacityRamping up supply of PPEBuilding a robust contact tracing operationEXPANDING TESTING: Maryland's testing capacity has expanded by more than 5,000% in the past month and the state is on track to more than triple current capacity to up to 10,000 tests per day, according to the governor's office.The governor announced two agreements with coronavirus test maker Abbott Labs for 30,000 traditional tests, plus a massive push for antibody tests.CONTACT TRACING: The governor's office said the state currently has 250 people conducting contact tracing and there is a plan to quadruple the force to at least 1,000 dedicated contact tracers.Phillips said there is good news when it comes to contact tracing in that "the circle of contacts has become smaller and smaller" the longer social distancing is in place.HOSPITAL SURGE: The governor's office said a plan to increase hospital capacity by 6,000 beds is weeks ahead of schedule. The state is converting the Hagerstown Correctional Facility and former Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park (near the highest concentration of cases in Montgomery County) to treat coronavirus patients.The governor's office said crews are completing construction on a surge response tent at Adventist's Fort Washington Hospital, which is near the highest case rates in Prince George's County.An additional 60 response tents are being set up in Frederick, Jessup, Hagerstown, Annapolis, Baltimore, Germantown and Randallstown, the governor's office said.PPE: In the past week, Maryland has received 1 million additional face shields and 1,000 ICU beds. In the next week, the state is expecting deliveries of 4.5 million additional N95 masks, 290 oxygen concentrators, and 252 ICU ventilators, according to the governor's office.STRIKE TEAMS: Hogan said strike teams have responded to outbreaks in 16 nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and 15 group homes for medically fragile children.In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the state has augmented Maryland strike teams with three Disaster Medical Assistance Teams made up of physicians, paramedics and safety officers who bring years of disaster response experience.Maryland Department of Health coronavirus updates | en EspañolBaltimore City coronavirus resourcesSLOW THE SPREAD: 15 Days to slow the spread, what to doTRACKING THE CURVE: Tracking COVID-19 curve of cases, deaths in Maryland6 FEET: Why social distancing worksUNEMPLOYMENT: How to apply for unemployment insuranceGET TESTED: How to get tested for coronavirus in MarylandSCAMS: Beware of fraud related to coronavirus | RUMOR CONTROLFAQ: State answers to coronavirus questions (language translations)SPECIAL PAGE: Late-breaking updates on coronavirus