Maryland Orders Bars, Restaurants, and Gyms to Close Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

A worker at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport wears a mask as he cleans a glass door in Baltimore, Maryland on March 13, 2020. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Maryland officials announced a raft of measures to try to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, including an order to close bars, restaurants, and gyms and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

Maryland joined Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut in announcing strict measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus that started in China last year.