The MSBA will remain in virtual mode in January and until further notice, as it has since March, in light of the highest level of hospitalizations since May. The MSBA will communicate broadly to our members when circumstances allow a safe return to in-person events. Thousands of members have consumed over 30,000 hours of learning, engaged in virtual community and kept up with the latest updates. We encourage you to learn and connect with us virtually as we navigate the Covid landscape.

Governor Hogan’s recent press conference addressed the current state of the crisis: Maryland announced steps Tuesday to address a looming shortage of hospital beds and an even more grave shortage of doctors and nurses to staff them as the Washington region braces for a winter coronavirus surge. The state has 1,583 people in hospitals being treated for the virus, the most since early May. The rising number comes as public health experts are sounding the alarm that the situation is expected to get worse during the winter months… The governor said the number of people hospitalized in the state has increased 51 percent in the past two weeks, while modeling shows ‘the worse part of this entire crisis is still ahead of us in the next month or two.’ Hogan said Tuesday that the state Department of Health is working with the Maryland Hospital Association to recruit medical personnel and support staff at the state’s hospitals.