Masks are once again required in state government buildings as COVID-19 cases again climb, Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday. Hogan also offered paid leave to state employees who get a booster shot.

The new face covering rule only applies to public spaces owned or leased by the state government. Maryland still does not have a statewide mask mandate.

“We believe that the next four to six weeks are really going to be a terrible point in this crisis,” Hogan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” according to Newsmax. “It’s potentially going to be the worst part of the whole two-year fight.”

Local governments are free to institute more restrictive face covering guidelines. They may not be more lenient than the state, however.