Montgomery County police have said the general public should not gather near Suburban Hospital on Saturday to watch a military flyover, and are encouraged to watch it from other areas while maintaining social distancing.
Hospital workers may watch the flyover outside the hospital, said Montgomery County police Second District Commander Sean Gagen, whose district includes Bethesda.
The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds are expected to fly over Bethesda’s Suburban Hospital at 11:50 a.m. on Saturday as part of a salute to first responders and health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The jets will also fly over other medical centers in Montgomery County that include:
- National Institutes of Health in Bethesda at 11:50 a.m.
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda at 11:50 a.m.
- Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring at 11:51 a.m.
The flyover date was announced on Thursday, then the military released a flight path map Friday morning.
One flyover on Saturday will cover the D.C. region, including Northern Virginia. Another will be in the Baltimore area.
According to the flight path graphic for the D.C. region, the 20-minute flyover will start at Prince George’s County Hospital, go southwest over the District of Columbia, then turn northwest paralleling the Potomac River.
The jets will then turn east, flying over the Bethesda and Silver Spring areas, before turning southwest and flying back over D.C. and then Virginia. The jets will fly over Fairfax, Va., around 11:55 a.m.
A note on the map says: “Times are subject to change.”
It also urges people not to gather in crowds to watch.
“Residents should observe the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine and should refrain from traveling to see the flyover,” the map says. “Social distancing should be practiced at all times”
Gagen told Bethesda Beat on Thursday that police will try to ensure that people maintain the proper social distancing on Saturday.
“We plan on trying to help with traffic control. We’re gonna be assisting Suburban security with trying to keep the crowd as spread out as possible during the short duration that the flyover takes part,” he said.
Hundreds of people showed up to the area around Suburban last Saturday after the hospital advertised on its Facebook page that the flyover would happen that afternoon, but the date turned out to be wrong.
Asked if there was concern about a crowd of hundreds maintaining a safe distance, Gagen initially said Gov. Larry Hogan granted an exception to his March 30 stay-at-home order that limits crowds from gathering in groups of more than 10, and restricts travel to essential purposes only.
“This is a very special event. This is not every day, and it’s one of those things that I know the military is trying to do something positive for the hospitals and the first responders. So we’re gonna make sure that it goes off and it goes off without a hitch,” he said.
In a statement Friday morning, however, State Police wrote that “all current social distancing rules and safety precautions still apply.”
“In order to view this amazing sight safely, spectators are reminded the Governor’s Executive Order and the state of emergency remain in effect across Maryland. Those watching the flyover outside in a public area should wear face coverings and maintain social distancing by standing at least six feet apart,” police said.
On Friday, Gagen clarified his statement about there being an exception to the order, and said that police wouldn’t enforce Hogan’s order for the hospital staff. The general public, he said, should stay away from the hospital.
“We encourage people to use other venues to view the flyover. To not go to the hospital, because the hospital is still in operation and they don’t want the general public on their property. So there’s plenty of opportunities to view this flyover where people can spread out and not be in close contact with other people.”
Gagen said he doesn’t want concerns over the pandemic to ruin the spirit of the event on Saturday.
“The intent behind this is it’s supposed to be an inspirational thing and a good thing and I don’t want it to be tarnished because people get upset with the hospital workers coming out to view what is supposed to be for them,” he said. “That would turn a very positive event into a really negative one, and it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Vanessa McMains, a spokeswoman for Johns Hopkins Medicine, wrote in an email Thursday that the hospital “encourages members of the public to practice safe social distancing and enjoy the show from their yards rather than gathering.”
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media