One Year On: How The COVID-19 Pandemic Shaped Maryland

MARYLAND — It feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago when Marylanders first heard the words "novel coronavirus," "COVID-19," and "pandemic" before they dictated every aspect of day-to-day life.

Friday, March 5, 2021, marks one year since the first three coronavirus cases were reported in Maryland. The trio of Montgomery County residents — a woman in her 50s and a married couple in their 70s — contracted the virus while on a Nile River cruise.

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) immediately declared a state of emergency in Maryland, which allowed the state to "fast-track" its response to the illness and ramp up coordination with local health agencies.

Seeking to project confidence and calm to a state on edge, Hogan urged residents "not to panic, but to take this seriously."

State officials had already spent weeks preparing for the inevitability of positive cases. But nothing could fully prepare them for the tragedies, chaos, and career-defining moments that transpired this past year.

Since the outbreak emerged in March 2020, Maryland has reported more than 384,500 COVID-19 infections and more than 7,700 deaths from the virus. More than 35,000 people have been hospitalized.

Panic-Buying Leads To Toilet Paper, Hand Sanitizer Shortage

At the first signs of crisis, people panic-buy. And it was no different at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like elsewhere across the country, Maryland shoppers swarmed supermarkets and convenience stores to stock up on toilet paper, groceries, and hand sanitizer. Shelves were stripped of essentials and price gouging became common.

Amid shortages stemming from the pandemic, many business owners and residents stepped up to help out.

Over in Montgomery County, Edgardo Zuniga — the owner and founder of Twin Valley Distillers — started turning his high-proof alcohol into hand sanitizer and selling it to the public.

"We switched our production literally overnight," Zuniga told Patch. "We started seeing the situation coming from China, then to Europe. It was moving fast and we thought, 'We have to do something.'"

The whole process, from barrel to bottle, took about a week. He'd sell four-ounce bottles for $4 each and eight-ounce bottles for $6.50 each. One time, he sold 900 bottles in 45 minutes.

At that rate, Zuniga could've easily made a few thousand dollars. But he said that wasn't enough to cover the bills, pay his employees, and keep the distillery open long-term.

Zuniga's neighbors encouraged him to sell the hand sanitizers for more money. At the time, some retailers across the country were charging upward of $20 for hand sanitizer, knowing that people would buy it without a second thought.

But Zuniga, who was working nearly 24 hours a day, said he refused to boost his prices.

"I'm not making hand sanitizers to stay in business. I'm making hand sanitizers to help," he said.

In Baltimore County, Italian restaurant Casa Mia's added toilet paper to delivery and carry out orders of at least $25. In a span of a week, the eatery had given away more than 700 rolls of toilet paper.

"We didn't think it would help sales, but we figured it would help somebody else," owner Ken Dilda said. "We just appreciate whoever's ordering to support us at the time, so why not help them out?"

Hogan Closes Businesses, Issues Stay-At-Home Order

The governor ordered all restaurants, bars, gyms, and movie theaters to close on March 16, 2020, in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. Essential services — such as gas stations, banks, pharmacies, and grocery stores — were allowed to stay open.

By March 23, 2020, all nonessential businesses were ordered to close.

"This is an exceptionally challenging time for Marylanders and for all Americans," Hogan said at the time. "None of us really know how bad it's going to get or how long it's going to last."

A week later, the governor issued a stay-at-home order after the number of deaths from the new coronavirus in Maryland tripled over the weekend, from five on March 28 to 15 on March 29.

As restrictions continued into the spring of 2020, businesses found themselves strapped for cash. Local governments offered grants to small businesses after Congress passed the CARES Act.

But the stimulus wasn't enough.

Businesses started falling one-by-one. An Ellicott City coffee shop remodeled by chef Gordon Ramsey, the "best club in Annapolis," a Bel Air children's boutique: all gone.

With establishments going out of business, hundreds of thousands lost their jobs. The downturn peaked in the week ending on May 2, when 109,263 Marylanders filed their first unemployment claims.

Since March 2020, more than 1.69 million Maryland workers have sought first-time unemployment benefits.

After a month of quarantine, some residents grew angry. They took to the streets on April 18, organizing a car rally through Annapolis.

Protesters toted signs reading "We are all essential, reopen MD," "Open up our churches, we need Communion," and "Freedom over fear." Some carried copies of the U.S. Constitution, others waved Trump 2020 or American flags.

A Desperate Plea For PPE

Thousands of hospitals across the country faced an acute shortage of personal protective equipment amid the growing coronavirus pandemic. In Maryland, hospitals were asking community members to donate non-latex gloves, face shields, cloth masks, and other medical supplies.

Ninety-year-old Dan Willkens — who lives with his daughter, Diane, in Chevy Chase — was homebound during the early months of the pandemic. With more time on his hands, he wanted to do what he could to help the local community.

So he learned how to sew.

Soon enough, he was sitting hunched over his daughter's Bernina sewing machine — crafting fabric face coverings to help shield hospital staff from the coronavirus.

He'd spend anywhere from eight to 12 hours a day working on face masks. He ended up sending more than a dozen of them to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda.

"That's my dad," Diane said, laughing. "If he saw someone who needed some help, he'd stop at the side of the road and help. Whatever they needed."

Nearby in Gaithersburg, husband-and-wife duo Hobie and Alicia Cohen fired up their 3D printer and made thousands of face shields for frontline workers.

"When we were first getting into this, (we wondered) how we were going to afford making all these face shields," Alicia said. "We were happy to donate some of our time and money. But face shields cost thousands and thousands of dollars."

So the couple set up a GoFundMe page and raised nearly $15,000.

"People just started donating and donating and it really surprised me to see how many donations we got from people we didn't even know," Alicia said.

People didn't just donate their money. Some wanted to help out — whether it was to 3D print parts, sand down prints, or prepare units for delivery.

With help from manufactures and the community, Hobie and Alicia delivered more than 2,500 face shields to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and Germantown.

When Marylanders learned they, too, had to wear face coverings in public, not everyone had one handy. Not everyone could afford to buy one, either.

Nilla McIntyre, an Odenton resident and U.S. Navy veteran, set out to make hundreds of face masks for those who needed one and didn't charge a single dime. Many face coverings were sent to the Cedar Ridge church community, Food Lion employees, the Bay Area Wellness Group, and various friends and family members.

"I am a quilter and had plenty of material, and I wanted to do my community service by ensuring people that needed a mask could get one," McIntyre told Patch.

Debate Over School Closures

All schools in the state had already shut down in-person learning by mid-March 2020.

Over the summer, the Maryland State Department of Education gave guidance for in-person instruction, but several school districts had not reopened.

In January 2021, Hogan said there was consensus among health experts and leaders at the federal level that schools should reopen.

"There is no public health reason for school boards to be keeping students out of schools," Hogan said at the time. "None."

President Joe Biden made reopening schools one of his top priorities for his first 100 days in office, Hogan said.

"The toll of keeping students out of school far exceeds any potential risk of having students in school where they belong," Hogan said. "The time has come to get all of our kids back in the classroom, and to open the schools."

He called on school systems across the state to adopt a hybrid learning approach, at the very least, by March 1.

Although Hogan could not force teachers to return, he said he would do whatever he could to get children back into classrooms.

He pointed to other cities and states that have pressured school districts to reopen. Chicago, for instance, withheld pay for teachers who refused to return, while South Carolina threatened to revoke teaching licenses.

"We do not want to have to take such actions here in Maryland," Hogan said. "But if school systems do not immediately begin a good-faith effort to return to the classroom, we will explore every legal avenue at our disposal."

Maryland's teachers union, the Maryland State Education Association, voiced opposition to Hogan's demands. The group pointed to slow vaccine rollout and changing school reopening standards as reasons that most classes should stay online.

Despite this, most school districts have now reopened in some fashion.

Marylanders Offer Support, Spread Positivity

Though the pandemic highlighted divisions, many Marylanders banded together to solve emerging problems.

When the virus interrupted religious services, one Bowie priest decided to host drive-thru confessions. This ingenuity continued the holy tradition for the parish of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church.

"The church no longer has Mass, but there's still an opportunity to talk with a priest," the Rev. Scott Holmer said in a March 2020 interview with Patch. "I think that's very comforting for people, especially when things are going so crazy."

When people weren't participating in socially distant activities, they were expected to hunker down at home. Health experts, however, worried about social isolation and the impact it could have on the senior population.

The City of Takoma Park hoped to bridge that disconnect through a new initiative called the Phone A Neighbor Program. A volunteer would be assigned a senior to check in with on a regular basis. The pair could schedule as many phone calls as they wanted and talk about whatever came to mind.

"We developed this so we can keep in touch with seniors and anyone who is living alone," Paula Lisowski, the seniors program manager for the recreation department, told Patch. "We want to make sure they are not living in social isolation and that they can connect with a volunteer who could check up on them."

Amid lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, more digitally savvy people turned to live streams to stave off boredom and de-stress.

Every day, dozens of people from around the world flock to John Witherspoon's YouTube channel to see a robin incubate her eggs.

The American Robin — with her dusky orange breast and elongated tail — built her home on his windowsill in Bethesda on April 18 and laid three eggs. They were supposed to hatch on May 1, 2020, or soon thereafter.

According to Witherspoon, his livestream helped strangers cope with uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Many people have commented that watching the robin is very therapeutic and soothing, especially during these uncertain and unusual times," he said. "One person mentioned that seeing the robin preparing to bring a new generation into the world provides hope and shows us that nature is keeping its normal course ... that humanity will presumably be able return to its normal course at some point, too."

Even before the coronavirus pandemic swept around the world, food insecurity and hunger affected numerous area families.

Ellen Draper, a Baltimore-area resident, felt compelled to help those affected by hunger and volunteers with the Catonsville Can! Food and Toiletry Collection, along with the Casserole Campaign through her role as chairperson of the St. Mark Social Justice Committee.

Coronavirus restrictions prevented people from placing donated casseroles for Our Daily Bread in their freezers, so Draper worked with the owners of Chef Paolino's in Catonsville to receive donations to pay for the preparation of casseroles that the parish would then deliver to Our Daily Bread, My Brother's Keeper and My Sister's Place. They immediately agreed and we set the price at $15 per casserole tray of baked ziti with meat sauce.

"By the time that first casserole campaign ended in June, Chef P's had received donations for 697 casseroles. Those casseroles have been delivered over time to meet the needs of the recipient organizations," Draper told Patch.

With consumers concerned about meat shortages, an Anne Arundel County business decided to help out and ended up providing hundreds upon hundreds of families with almost 30,000 pounds of poultry in just a few hours on May 2, 2020. The staff at Homestead Gardens teamed up with Perdue Chicken and close to 1,000 vehicles lined up outside the business to receive their box of food.

Homestead Gardens President Brian Riddle told Patch it was the first time the business had hosted such an endeavor.

In the thick of the pandemic, Jerry Frishman was spreading hope and positivity with the click of his camera.

The Gaithersburg photographer, who has been in business for more than 30 years, was going home to home in Montgomery County to snap pictures of families on their front steps.

"The photos create a sense of community. But they also capture a moment in time that hopefully never happens again," Frishman said in an interview with Patch.

Choking up, he added: "Parents with younger kids, they want these shots for the record. The little kids might not remember 25 years from now, but they'll have pictures to show that."

Frishman was one of hundreds of photographers who were participating in "The Front Steps Project" — a worldwide movement in which people photographed families outside their home and raised money for local organizations.

All of Frishman's photo sessions were free. He just asked that families donate to a local food bank.

Remembering Those We've Lost

Maryland's first coronavirus death was announced on March 18, 2020. The victim was a Prince George's County resident in his 60s.

Since then, at least 7,740 people have died from the virus.

But every death means more than a statistic. A child lost his mother; a mother lost her child and maybe her own mother, too. A community lost a teacher, a mentor, a student, a coach. The front line lost a nurse, a doctor, an EMT, a hospital orderly.

Quen Agbor Ako, a nurse at the FutureCare Old Court in Randallstown, died on April 10, 2020. She was 53.

The Cameroon native is survived by her four children, husband, grandmother, mother, six siblings, and many other relatives, according to her obituary.

She was described as someone who "preferred to look on the brighter side of life" and "made sure everyone felt special and knew how precious and important they were."

Dr. Joseph Costa, head of critical care at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, died on July 25, 2020, at the age of 56.

Costa was treated in the intensive care unit at Mercy, where he died from the virus, a spokesperson for the hospital told Patch. In memory of Costa, the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Health Services Administration said they'd plant a tree in the intensive care unit's ninth-floor garden.

"He was beloved by his patients and their family members — known for his warm and comforting bedside manner as well as his direct and informative communication style," Mercy Board of Trustees Executive Chair Sister Helen Amos and Mercy President/CEO Dr. David N. Maine wrote in a letter about the chief's death.

To his staff, he was "like an older brother" who had earned admiration, they wrote.

Leilani Jordan, a 27-year-old Giant Food clerk in Largo, died April 1, 2020.

Jordan's mother, Zenobia Shepherd, told WUSA9 that her daughter was a member of the store's disability program.

"She just loved her little job," Shepherd told the news outlet. "She did whatever they needed helping people."

Prince George's County Councilmember Mel Franklin said the community "lost an angel" who continued working in order to help seniors.

Blanca Kling, the Hispanic liaison for the Montgomery County Police Department, died from COVID-19-related pneumonia on Jan. 27, 2021. Affectionately known as "Blanquita," Kling spent more than 40 years serving the department.

"Blanca was not only a coworker to many but a caring friend," the department said in a statement. "Montgomery County and the world is better for knowing Blanca Kling."

Kling began her career in 1980 as a victim assistant specialist for Wheaton's Fourth District. In 2005, she joined the department's Public Information Division, where she was tasked with strengthening communication and fostering trust between police and the Hispanic community.

In a statement released on Jan. 27, the Montgomery County Council called Kling a "pillar in the Latino community" who dedicated her life to public service.

The State of Maryland Today

While key COVID-19 metrics appear to be plateauing or improving, many Marylanders are still being cautious.

Sharon Daugherty, a Patch reader, said it's been difficult not seeing her grandchildren.

Another Patch reader said the pandemic has helped put mortality into perspective.

"We realized how fragile our lives are," Cindy Shea told Patch. "Thankfully our family has not lost anyone. Every day with family is a gift."

Vaccine Rollout in Maryland

Once the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in December, Maryland began its vaccine rollout.

The state receives its supply from the federal government. At this time, the federal government is giving Maryland about 12,000 doses per day.

The state of Maryland has broken down its vaccination plan into five phases: 1A, 1B, 1C, 2, and 3.

Health care workers, residents and staff of nursing homes, and first responders were among the first to be inoculated. Next came Marylanders age 75 and older, those in group homes or other congregate living facilities, school staff, child care providers, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Maryland is currently in Phase 1C of its vaccination plan, which includes:

• Adults 65 years and older
• Essential workers in lab services
• Food/agriculture production
• U.S. Postal Service
• Public mass transit
• Grocery store employees
• Cancer patients in active treatment
• Individuals currently being treated in a hospital and diagnosed with COPD, diabetes, and sickle cell disease
• Veterinarians and support staff

(A more comprehensive list of eligible residents can be found here).

Vaccinations are being offered through the county, the state, and multiple hospitals. Click here to learn more.

The latest data shows that Maryland has administered 1,482,780 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among those, 956,463 were first doses and 526,317 were second doses.

On Monday, Hogan announced the state will begin deploying the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

The state has only received 49,600 doses so far. All of them will be sent to providers this week, according to health officials.

"The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe, effective, and made right here in Maryland," Hogan said. "Our plan is to get this vaccine into the community right away and right into arms so that we can continue increasing our vaccination rate."

The news came two days after the FDA approved the company's vaccine. It's the third COVID-19 vaccine to roll out for use in the U.S.