Maryland Governor Larry Hogan took aim at local Baltimore officials during a press conference on Wednesday. During his time with press, he criticized the city’s willingness to allow protests against police brutality to take place without allowing small businesses to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s absolutely absurd that there are thousands of people gathering in the streets, and yet a small business in Baltimore can’t open their doors,” Hogan said.
“And I think Jack Young should let those small businesses open. They should have been a long time ago,” he told reporters.
Protests against police brutality and racism have emerged in cities across the country including Baltimore. The city of Baltimore has a deep history with the matter that took the nation by storm during the Freddie Gray uprisings.
As of Wednesday, the city had reported nearly 7,000 cases of COVID-19. In addition, the city was forced to suspend its recycling program for three weeks due to a number of sanitation workers testing positive for the virus. Not to mention, the Maryland city’s population is 62.8% Black. A recent study found that in 32 states and the District of Columbia, Black residents were dying of COVID-19 at a rate higher than their proportion of the population. With that being said, health professionals would argue that the racism that is being protested and the pandemic are not necessarily separate.
“Racism is a social determinant of health. It affects the physical and mental health of blacks in the U.S. So I wouldn’t weigh these crises separately,” Boston University’s Dr. Elaine Nsoesie states.
Under Gov. Hogan’s leadership, Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Prince George’s County appear to be the hardest hit by the virus. Unsurprisingly, Prince George’s County and Baltimore County are both more than 60% Black.
Baltimore Mayor Jack Young has not yet publicly responded to Gov. Hogan’s remarks.
