Maryland Governor Bans Blanket Closures Of Private, Religious Schools By Local Officials

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) An attempt by a county government in the US state of Maryland to force all private and religious schools to remain closed prompted an emergency order that returns the decision to schools themselves, Governor Larry Hogan said in a press release on Monday.

"Over the last several weeks, school boards and superintendents made their own decisions about how and when to reopen public schools, after consultation with state and local health officials," Hogan said. "Private and parochial [religious] schools deserve the same opportunity and flexibility to make reopening decisions based on public health guidelines."

Hogan's order targets the government of Montgomery County, a wealthy enclave bordering Washington, DC, which last week ordered all private and parochial schools to remain closed when the new school year begins in December.

The blanket closure mandate was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer, Hogan said.

The governor tweeted over the weekend that private and religious schools were entitled to make the decision on what to do next month, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and in consultation with state and local health officials - not elected politicians.

Then on Monday, Hogan modified an earlier executive order to make it clear that local schools and school districts - not elected politicians - will make the decision.

Local health officials still have the power to determine whether re-opening plans are safe and retain the authority to force closure of any facility deemed unsafe, according to the release.